Statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) suggest that Ghana records higher numbers in defilement cases as opposed to rape.

This was disclosed by the Director of DOVVSU who largely blamed the high numbers of defilement on the vulnerability of children and the failure of parents to ensure the safety of their wards against such acts.

“It’s for us adults to protect them but most of the time, mothers, parents, foster parents tend to trust people around them and leave these kids in their care.

“Sometimes they go to work, leave the kids at home, and when they get back, they don’t know whom the kids got into contact,” she said.

She made the comments during a discussion Sunday on JoyNews’ Covid and the law with Samsom Anyenini Lardi on the topic: ‘Why rape victims pay for their medical bills when the law states otherwise.’

During the discussion, she disclosed that the country in 2017 recorded a total of 790 cases of defilement as against 307 rape cases

Again, in 2019, defilement cases saw a rise with 1,270 cases being recorded while rape stood at a figure of 369.

However, speaking on the same show Former Executive Director for the Human Rights Advocacy Center Cynthia Nimo Ampredu said the reason for the low numbers on rape is due to the fact that rape is under reported in the country.

According to her, rape victims are usually adults capable of taking decisions on their own and may decide not to report the assault.

Defilement on the other hand, she said is usually reported by parents who take decisions on behalf of the victims.

“We also know that people tend not to report [sexual assault] especially the adults.

“For children, they are in the care of adults who make the decision to go ahead and report but if you are an adult and you get raped, you have to make that decision whether or not you are going to report.

“So basically for rape, we may not be seeing a lot of reported cases because people just don’t report. There is data that suggests that about 95 percent of rape victims do not report their assault,” Cynthia added.