The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has urged journalists to exercise restraint in reporting the alleged sexual abuse case at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), warning that exposing victims’ identities could compromise efforts to secure justice.
According to her, media reports allegedly identifying some of the students had made it difficult for the ministry to engage the victims and their families, with two or three girls reportedly withdrawing from the process after hearing their full names mentioned on a media platform.
Speaking on the challenges confronting officials handling the case, Dr. Lartey said the disclosures had heightened concerns among parents and weakened their willingness to continue engaging with the ministry.
“One of the challenges we’ve had engaging the victims is that the media has not helped the case,” she said, explaining that some parents had become reluctant to participate after their children were identified in reports.
The minister cautioned that concealing a victim’s face does not necessarily guarantee anonymity, noting that some of the students had reportedly been identified by friends and relatives through their voices.
She said such exposure could leave the girls facing additional difficulties within their families and social circles at a time when they require protection and support.
Dr. Lartey stressed that safeguarding the identities of the students was essential to creating an environment in which victims and their families could confidently participate in efforts to address the allegations.
While acknowledging the media’s responsibility to inform the public, she appealed to journalists and media organizations to weigh the public interest in their reporting against the potential harm caused by revealing information that could identify the children.
“As much as we want the stories, as much as we want the news, I will appeal to all of us: we are in this together,” she said.
She warned that lapses in protecting the victims could affect the wider process of establishing the facts and pursuing justice, potentially undermining the work of the ministry and other stakeholders.
The minister also expressed concern about reports that some journalists had persistently approached the students for interviews, leaving them overwhelmed by questions about their experiences.
According to her, the circumstances surrounding the case require sensitivity rather than pressure on the students to speak publicly about what they may have endured.
