Bantamahene in Kumasi, Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia the sixth, is calling for severe punishment for seven teenagers who allegedly gang-raped a young lady in the area.
Baffuor Amankwatia joins in condemning the act and advocates harsh sanctions to serve as deterrent for others who may intend to perpetrate such crime.
In an exclusively, he says he expects no form of intervention or intercession, whatsoever, for the suspects.
Widespread public condemnation has greeted a widely-circulated video in which seven boys are seen sexually abusing the girl.
Four of them have since been picked up and arraigned before the Asokwa District Court while police pursue the remaining three who are still on the run.
Baffuor Owusu Amakwatia the sixth says he first discounted the story when it first broke out only to find out it was true.
“It’s very, very sad for such a thing to happen and moreso for it to be taking place in my traditional area. Seriously when I heard about it, I really didn’t believe it but then I did some investigations and I found out that the story was true,” he said.
He has condemned the conduct of the teenagers, saying “it is bad for Ghana.”
“Let’s let everybody in Ghana know that what the children know that what the children did is bad for Ghana; it’s bad for the moral fabrics of our society and it’s bad for everything”.
Baffuor Owusu Amakwatia the sixth who is the war marshal of the Asantehene says he expects no form of intervention or intercession, whatsoever, for the suspects.
“We must be able to do something that will prevent this thing happening again. I believe that when you go to other areas, these things have been happening; but it’s just that they have not been caught.
Now for deterrence purposes, I believe that, the law must be made to apply. So let’s give it a punishment that somebody will look at and say ah this thing you know if I do something like this, I would be in trouble. I mean that is the only way,” he has said.
He wants a stiffer punishment for the suspects to deter others from engaging in such acts.
“If you say they are children or because of that we are going to relax in the punishment, I think it is not going to help. For this one, let’s do something that will deter our children from practising this vice again”
Some residents of Bantama, including Assembly member for the area, blame growing indecency among the youth in Bantama on entertainment.
They question the community’s hosting of programs such as street concerts.
Baffour Amankwatia, however , cites break-down in the moral fabric and values of society, propelled by lack of proper parental care as causes of youth misconduct.
“Parental care, the level that is reached, I think parental care during these times is going down and that is what’s responsible for whatever is happening. The value system of the country has gone down. Now what we give value to is changed.
Parents must take responsibility for whatever their children do,” he explained.
Source: Ghana/Nhyira FM/ Ohemeng Tawiah
Bantamahene calls for stiffer punishment for gang rapists
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