A junior high school drop-out aged 23, has impregnated four friends who are students in the same town, Assin Odumase in the Assin South District of the Central Region.

The girls are said to be between 16 and 17 years old.

The divisional police commander of Assin Fosu, Chief Superintendent Henry Bacho, who made this known, said the culprit had run away from the town after his parents had intervened for the matter to be settled at home following a report made to the police by a parent of one of the girls.

He said the police, after learning that the culprit had bolted, took over the matter and sent it to the Assin Fosu magistrate court to get the parents or relatives of the runaway school drop-out to take care of the girls during their pregnancy and after they had delivered.

Chief Supt. Bacho has therefore asked all parents to take good care of their girl children and exercise parental control over them.

He was speaking at a public forum organized by the Standing Committee of Parliament on Gender, Children and Social Protection on Wednesday to sensitise the people of Assin South District on teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse – in view of the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and rape in the district.

He said in most instances of child abuse and rape, opinion leaders and parents of culprits and the victims come to the police to appeal for the matter to be settled at home; and warned the people to desist from interfering in the work of the police since issues of rape and child abuse are criminal and should be left for the law to deal with them.

The police officer also indicated that some cases are difficult to be sent to court for prosecution because of lack of evidence; and appealed to all complainants in cases to assist the police with hard evidence to enable them quickly prosecute those cases.

“Many people here have the misconception that when people are arrested and are left it means the police have taken bribe; but the police can prosecute based on evidence,” he said.