The government has been asked to create special courts for rape and defilement cases in line with the family tribunals.

This would remove the social stigma felt by both the victims and their families at the public courts and would encourage families to report rape cases.

Miss Victoria Kpelly, a Senior Public Health Nurse at the Aflao District Hospital, said this at a day's forum on: "Rape and Sexual Abuse in the Volta Region" for school children, the clergy, opinion leaders and chiefs.

It was organised by the NGO Coalition on the Rights of the Child (GNCRC) and sponsored by UNICEF.

"It is to avoid the stigma that victims and families refuse to bring rape cases to the public domain to the detriment of victims," Miss Kpelly said.

She said the physical, psychological, social and mental defects on rape victims sometimes remained permanent features to contend with throughout the rest of their life.

Miss Kpelly said poor academic performance; timidity; infertility; death and complications during childbirth could be the result of rape and defilement.

Mr Joseph Yegbe, a former Director of Education, who was the guest speaker asked adults to educate children, on self-protection against rape and other hazards associated with early sex and sexual abuse.