THERE was drama at a special prayer session of christian women in Accra yesterday as the solemn atmosphere was disrupted when a middle-aged woman started beating a man whom she accused of attempting to rape her. The man, who gave his name as Amartey, was said to have tickled the thigh of the woman (name withheld) seated close to her several times with his male organ until she screamed. The incident created quite a scene which, but for the timely intervention of the police, might have resulted in the man being lynched.

Ironically, the prayer session was specially organised to seek divine intervention in unravelling the mystery surrounding the gruesome murder of women as well as the high incidence of rape and defilement. According to the woman, she experienced a sudden sensation on her thigh but initially ignored it as she was deep in prayers. However, as it intensified, she decided to ascertain what it was only to see the man sitting by her openly rubbing her thigh with his male organ.

Shocked at the man"s behaviour, she raised an alarm which attracted members of the congregation to where she was sitting. The incidence attracted many passers-by as well as traders who rushed to catch a glimpse of the man. The police then whisked Amartey away after which the prayer session continued. The prayer session which was organised by the Christian Council and Catholic Bishops Conference, attracted both men and women.

In a letter read on behalf of the Council by Mrs. Lydia A. Adajawa, Cordinator, Family Life/Gender Issues, the council condemned the serial killings. It said "we again condemn in no uncertain terms the horror our women are being exposed to for the past two years, adding that "though attempts being made to apprehend the heartless culprits have not yielded much results yet, we strongly believe that they will be brought to book sooner or later. The council also called on security personnel to take a critical view on the testimonies of a self-confessed killer on one of the TV stations. According to the letter, though there may not be any scientific proof, the church strongly believes that there is a spiritual dimension to the murders. It, therefore, urged the public to, as a sign of patriotism and solidarity with women, volunteer information to the security agencies and appealed to the security agencies to protect such informants. The council advised women to be vigilant in order not to expose themselves to any form of danger. It further called on all churches to place the issue on their priority list of prayers till a lasting solution is found. The council congratulated the government and security agencies for mounting surveillance and expressed the hope that it would be intensified to facilitate the arrest of the perpetrator. In a sermon, Rev. Mrs. Alice Kyei-Anti of the Darkuman Presbyterian Church said the situation has stifled the economic activities of most women who have to wake up early and return home late in the night. She stressed the need for an all-embracing approach to help track down the culprits. Present at the prayer session was Rt. Rev. Justice Akrofi, Chairman of the Christian Council of Churches.

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