Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, has added her voice to the growing list of condemnation against the inhumane treatment of three ladies who were alleged to have stolen clothes at a Mr Price shop at the Accra Mall.
She said she was “scandalised, disgusted and very sad that in 2014 we are still having this incident.”
The gender activist said her Ministry would ensure that the three ladies, who were made to crawl on their knees in the full glare of hundreds of shoppers as punishment for the alleged shoplifting, get compensated.
Nana Oye Lithur was speaking on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana Thursday February 27, 2014 which was dedicated to March 8’s International Women’s Day celebration.
Stuart Bird, CEO of the South African clothing chain in a statement Thursday, indicated that he was dismayed by the incident, adding investigations have been initiated.
But according to Nana Oye Lithur, the retail chain must be made to provide monetary compensation to the ladies who suffered the “dehumanising treatment.”
“Under no circumstance should people take the law into their hands and dehumanise especially women in this way”, the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister stated.
The Minister believes management of Mr Price should have handed the alleged shoplifters to the police.
“We are asking for some legal action to be taken and for the Commission of Human Right and Administrative Justice to take this up because we’ve had a few of such incidents”, she added.
Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has also condemned the degrading ordeal suffered by three female students.
Lawyer and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Ursula Owusu Ekufful has vowed to lead a legal battle against Mr Price over the Monday, February 25 incident.
The video of the ladies crawling out of the Accra Mall foyer first broke on Facebook and went viral .