Defilement accounts for 59.4 per cent of all offences committed against children in Ghana, making it the most common form of abuse recorded in a new nationwide study by Child Rights International.

The study, which reviewed 899 child protection cases across 10 regions, also found that 286 cases remain pending before the courts, with some unresolved for between two and 10 years.

Briefing the media in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of Child Rights International, Mr Appiah, said the findings exposed serious weaknesses in the justice system and showed how delays were harming child victims and their families.

He said assault was the second most common offence, accounting for 18.9 per cent of cases, while indecent assault represented 7.7 per cent.

Mr Appiah described the high rate of defilement as alarming, noting that many children below the age of 16 were victims of abuse. He said the research identified 23 offences, including abduction, emotional abuse, rape, child trafficking and torture.

According to him, the cases were drawn from 193 communities across Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Volta, Northern, Eastern, Upper West, Bono, Oti and Western North regions, many of them poor and vulnerable areas where access to justice remains difficult.

He explained that families often travelled long distances to attend court, incurring costs for transport, food, medical reports and forensic examinations, while also losing income from missed work.

The study estimated that families spend between GH¢1,050 and GH¢2,540 to pursue a single case, excluding legal fees.

“For many poor families, justice has become expensive,” Mr Appiah said.

He warned that prolonged delays were causing secondary victimisation, as children were forced to relive traumatic experiences through repeated court appearances, often only for cases to be adjourned.

He said this created fear, anxiety and emotional distress, while also affecting children’s education, with some losing up to one month of schooling in a year.

Mr Appiah added that delays allowed offenders to remain free, exposing victims to intimidation and stigma, and discouraging families from reporting abuse.

He noted that many families resorted to settling cases outside the formal court system due to the slow and stressful legal process.

To address the situation, he called for faster investigations, specialised child protection courts, dedicated prosecution units and a national digital case tracking system to improve accountability and reduce delays.

He said the organisation had submitted the report to key state institutions and would continue to push for reforms.