The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has urged Parliament to fast-track the establishment of a National Sex Offenders Register.
She warned that Ghana’s failure to effectively track convicted sexual offenders and hold perpetrators accountable continues to expose children and other vulnerable persons to abuse.
Making a statement on the floor of Parliament, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings revealed that Ghana recorded 1,132 cases of defilement, 297 rape cases, 10 attempted defilement cases, 16 attempted rape cases and seven cases of carnal knowledge of a female with mental incapacity in 2025, bringing the total number of registered cases to 1,462.
She noted that the figures represented only reported cases, with many victims likely remaining silent because of fear, intimidation, stigma and pressure from families.
She further called for safeguards to ensure that the proposed register respects due process, lawful convictions and data protection.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
