Dear Ghana Police Service, I am deeply concerned over the handling of a disturbing incest case involving Inspector Desmond, reportedly stationed at Mampongten, and his 15-year-old daughter.
While the response from the Ghana Police Service is acknowledged, there is deep worry about the handling of sensitive details particularly the public disclosure of the minor’s full identity.
This has left the young girl exposed, traumatised, and facing difficult confrontations from peers who are now aware of the painful circumstances surrounding her abuse.
The case had earlier been reported without revealing her identity, in line with basic child protection standards. That protection has now been compromised.
AAccording to the victim’s account, the abuse allegedly began when she was just 10 years old during a period she lived with her father in Garu. At age 11, after reportedly being given medication to terminate a pregnancy, she confided in a doctor at Garu Presbyterian Hospital, leading to a police report.
Despite this, the case appears to have stalled. Reports suggest that although it reached police authorities in Garu and Bolgatanga, no decisive action was taken at the time.
The victim further alleges prolonged abuse under threats, including being locked up and deprived of food. Medical reports later confirmed she is HIV positive. The accused officer has also reportedly admitted to being HIV positive.
Even after the girl was relocated to Agona Jamasi for care, the alleged abuse is said to have continued.
This raises troubling questions: Why was this case not pursued with urgency from the outset? Why did earlier reports fail to trigger decisive intervention? And why, months after a formal complaint was lodged at the Agona District Police Command in November, is interdiction still described as “ongoing”?
The gravity of this case demands more than procedural updates it requires swift, transparent, and decisive action.
The protection of vulnerable victims, especially minors, must remain paramount.
The writer, Abena Opokua Ahwenee, is a senior broadcast journalist with Multimedia Group Limited’s Adom Brands.
