Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Ocquaye, has charged the Gender Minister to keep a close eye on the case involving the defilement of a 6-year old child at Assin Adadietem in the Central region.

Warning against a family settlement, the Speaker said criminal cases cannot be settled out of court.

His comments followed a brief by the Minister in parliament after Pusiga MP, Laadi Ayamba filed a question to get an official update on the case from Otiko Afisah Djaba.

On October 13, 2017, a 16-year old boy allegedly defiled the six-year-old child while her parents were attending to social functions.

An uproar on social media followed leading to the arrest of the accused teen who had gone into hiding.

Otiko Djaba told the house, the girl had been relocated with the hearing of the case against the accused expected to resume on March  1.

It has been adjourned twice.

The Minister said she will soon be seeking cabinet's approval for a policy to make it mandatory for community fora to be organised on proper parenting.

She said there are concerns that the mother of the victim was negligent.

Photo: Speaker of Parliament Prof Mike Oquaye

In his remarks, the Speaker said Minister should ensure she is "personally" following the case to set an example to the impunity over defilement.

There should be "no private, personal, official or whatever intervention to kill the case or settle it behind closed doors...no priest or chief can intervene," he said.

Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Ocquaye then asked that the Minister briefs the House on the progress of the prosecution in two weeks' time.