The Northern regional Police Command says it cannot take action in the case involving the woman who was severely whipped by her supposed relatives in a video gone viral on Facebook.
The yet-to-be identified lady believed to be in her mid-twenties was seen in the video held to a table by some men and flogged repeatedly on her back by another man believed to be a relative.
The excruciating episode took place in a compound in Tamale and was being witnessed by some elderly women and children in the house of the same family.
According to sources close to the development, the woman allegedly sparked the fury of her family after she went back home late after a night out.
Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday, DSP Emmanuel Holortu of the Tamale Police said there is little they can do about the incident until the alleged victim comes to report and provide further details on the issue.
“We need more information in order to pursue this case. Once the police was not there, we need someone to lodge a complaint to the police. The information we have as the police is scanty. We cannot do much with the information we have so far. Until anybody gives us information, we cannot do anything. I am not a magician to identify this young girl who was abused”.
But Child Rights activist Bright Appiah disagrees with the stands of the Police. He believes the state must act even without a complaint by the victim.
“Mere condemnation will not bring solutions to this matter. Action must be taken. Corporal Punishment is very complex. Unless the young lady who was flogged comes out to say that she has been affected psychologically after the flogging, we cannot tell. If the young lady who was flogged is ready to pursue the case, we are available and ready to help her. At a point, the State becomes a parent to children,” he told Morning Starr.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
