Parents to Be Prosecuted for Child Neglect in Eastern Region

Mr Harrison Tete-Donkor, the Eastern Regional Director of the Social Welfare Department, has stated its intension to enforce the law on parental responsibilities and negligence.

He said this is to forestall the rise of teenage pregnancies and child prostitution in the region.

Mr Tete-Donkor said several interventions by the Social Welfare Department like taking young girls out of the streets and reconciling them with their parents have failed and now the law of criminal negligence must be allowed to take its full course.

The Children’s Act 650 section 15, talks of parental duty and responsibility and section 3 says” every parent has rights and responsibilities to protect the child from neglect, discrimination, violence, abuse, exposure to physical and moral hazards and oppression, provide good guidance, care, assistance and maintenance for the child’s survival and development”.

Speaking at the first quarter meeting of the Regional Child Protection Committee (RCPC) in Koforidua, he said child prostitution from their findings was creeping fast into the fabric of society hence the need to deal with irresponsible parents.

He said from their survey, many of the children engaging in the appalling practice were coming from homes of single parents and lacked care and supervision.

Mr Tete-Donkor said these children between the ages of 12-18 operate around popular bars, joints and designated points scattered around the town at night in revealing clothes and are patronized by men who visit these joints.

He said many of the girls that they engaged were all coming from homes except that their parents did not care about their welfare and also noted that the menace was very high in the indigenous areas such as Betom, Srodai, Effiduase, Asokore, Oyoko, Suhyen and Jumapo, all in the New Juaben municipality.

Source: GNA