Obuasi SHTS scandal: Gender Ministry deploys team to offer medical, psychological support to victims

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has dispatched a team to Obuasi to offer medical and psychological assistance to students affected by allegations of sexual abuse at the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the team would interact with the affected students, identify their specific needs and support their recovery while ensuring their identities remain protected.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, Dr Lartey disclosed that the ministry was collaborating with the Ministry of the Interior and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to streamline the response and avoid subjecting the students to multiple interviews by different agencies.

She explained that the arrangement was designed to reduce the emotional burden on the students while ensuring that their welfare and the ongoing investigations received appropriate attention.

According to the minister, the team’s mandate extended beyond documenting the students’ experiences to include medical assistance and psychological care, particularly in light of allegations that the former headmaster had engaged in sexual encounters with several students.

Dr Lartey revealed that some of the students were hesitant to speak publicly because of fears of victimisation and social stigma.

She said information gathered with the help of investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni had enabled authorities to identify students who could require assistance, allowing the ministry to begin reaching out to them.

The minister assured the students that their identities would be treated confidentially and that appropriate measures would be taken to help them recover from their experiences.

She stressed that safeguarding the students against further harm remained a key priority as authorities worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the allegations.

The intervention follows mounting public concern over the alleged sexual abuse at Obuasi SHTS, alongside calls for accountability, a comprehensive investigation and improved safeguards for students in schools.

The allegations are still under investigation, with the protection, privacy and access to appropriate support for the affected students remaining central to the authorities’ response.