A human rights activist, Edward Amuzu has called for severe punishment to be meted out to perpetrators of child abuse.

According to him, child abuse cases cannot be justified under any culture and religious doctrines saying such acts cannot be tolerated in any civilized nation.

He said Ghana has the requisite laws to deal with cases of child abuse.

Speaking to Joy News, Wednesday, Mr. Amuzu noted that there is the need to educate the public on such issues  and called on the police to be up and doing in dealing with those, who abuse the rights of children in the society.

The Human Rights activist made the comment following a gory case of child abuse in which a teenage boy, was subjected to beating, stripped naked and shaved in public on suspicion of practicing witchcraft at Konongo in the Ashanti Region.

The sickly-looking 17-year-old was alleged to have confessed to possessing supernatural powers and was taken through exorcism rituals by a local fetish priest at the Chief’s palace last week.

But an arranged visit by Luv Fm’s Erastus Asare Donkor and Specialist Psychiatrist, Dr. Gordon Donnir to the mining town to investigate the issue has revealed the boy could be suffering from a mental condition known as cerebral palsy.

Erastus Asare Donkor reported that the-17-year old boy does not look his age as he looks smallish, frail, walks in a crooked fashion with his speech partially impaired.

Despite his disabilities, he is admired by many residents of  Konongo due to his sense of humour and was therefore a shock to many, when he went on a local radio station to declare he was a wizard.

A date was fixed by the chief of the town for his confession and exorcism by the palace fetish priest. At the palace, the boy was stripped naked and his private part and head shaved with a razor blade.

He sustained several wounds at his back as a result of the beatings from the priest in the attempt to force out names of other accomplices in his purported nocturnal activities.

A woman, who was part of the names he mentioned as collaborators, has lost her job.

However, an interaction between a psychiatrist and the boy revealed some incoherence in his revelations.

Series of examination conducted by Dr. Donnir revealed that the boy suffered brain deficiency as a child and took ten years to walk.

According to Dr. Donnir, there had been some impairment in the speech of the boy, which can be treated.

Meanwhile, the Police has confirmed that the boy has filed a formal complaint of assault with the Konongo police.

District Police Commander, DSP Richard Anaba, told LUV News that the boy's ordeal at the hands of the fetish priest, which attracted hundreds of people, occurred at the blind side of the police.