The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso has described as “shameful, depressing, heart-breaking, and criminal” the defilement of a 4-year old girl at Assin Adadientem in the Central Region.

He said although rape and defilement cases “have been with us in Ghana since time immemorial, the high rate at which the menace is occurring in recent times in different parts of the country is a real cause for concern.”

Prof Frimpong-Manso while commending the efforts of government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s), and individuals in the fight against the menace, appealed to churches and advocacy groups in the country to join the fight as their social responsibility.

According to him, churches and other religious bodies should educate their members on the need to report cases of rape and defilement to the security agencies, instead of accepting negotiations for private settlement at home.

“The police on their part should process such cases swiftly for prosecution in court, while judges hand down prompt and stiffer sentences on convicted criminals to serve as a deterrent to both the offenders and others in society,” he added in a statement.

He also called on chiefs, politicians, pastors, and other prominent people in society to refrain from intervening in such cases to obstruct justice from taking its due course.

Prof Frimpong-Manso noted that to prevent the recurrent incidences of rape and defilement, efforts towards women empowerment, poverty alleviation among women, and proper parental care, should be intensified at all levels of society.

This in his opinion “will go a long way in curbing the incidence of exposing unsuspecting children to become victims of rape and defilement through the latter’s involvement in petty trading and other such activities on the streets. The girl child at a very early age should be properly educated and empowered both at home and in school on how to avoid falling into the trap of unscrupulous male relatives, neighbours, and strangers.”