General News of Wednesday, 17 April 2019

Source: dailymailgh.com

Sex Scandal: GES sacks Obuasi Sec Tech housemaster for defilement

Seth Amponsah, 47, was found guilty of defilement Seth Amponsah, 47, was found guilty of defilement

The Ghana Education Service has sacked a housemaster at the Obuasi Senior High Technical School for sexual misconduct.

Seth Amponsah, 47, was found guilty of defilement by an investigative committee set up by the Education Service.

Dailymailgh.com’s checks reveal that the victim has since been transferred to another school following recommendations by the committee. She accused the housemaster of forcibly having sex with her in his office one evening.

The teacher had since vacated post when Daily Mail GH visited the school.

On 12th October, 2018, rumours were rife of a widespread sexual harassment by the said teacher of the school with the 17-year-old being the latest victim.

A committee was since set up to investigate the matter, a claim the teacher had since denied.

Sexual harassment is rampant in some schools in the West African country. The harassments, students said, were often carried out by both teachers and students, stressing that teachers were usually the worst culprits.

In late 2018, some students on condition of anonymity said teachers often took advantage of their vulnerability as children to harass them.

A Counselor and a Lecturer at the Wisconsin University College, Dr (Mrs.) Akua Frimpong in a Junior Graphic report said school authorities must undertake thorough investigation into reports of sexual harassments by pupils and students and take action to serve as a deterrent to others.

She pointed out that sexual harassment was a serious problem for students at all educational levels.

“The problem is very common but many students are scared or too embarrassed to report cases,” she said, adding that sexual harassment could be verbal (comments about your body), physical (grabbing,) and visual (display of naked pictures of sex- related objects).

“Sexual harassment is different from flirting. It can be requests for sexual favours that are bad enough to make you feel uncomfortable, scared or confused,” she added.

The Proprietor of the Resurrection Hope School in Accra, Mr Boakye Yiadom, said, ‘’I make sure that when such cases are reported to me, I investigate thoroughly and then call the people involved and dismiss them from the school,” he said.