Following the untimely death of Lilian Dedjoe on March 6, the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) is demanding justice for the deceased, as part of efforts to put a stop to what appears to be a dramatic surge of sexual and domestic violence in Ghana.
A press statement signed by Edna Kuma, the Executive Director of AWLA, noted that the death of Mrs Dedjoe reinforces the need for sustained advocacy on the elimination of all forms of violence against women and children now.
“It is horrific to live in a society that cannot guarantee the safety of women and children in their homes and alarming to observe the impunity with which perpetrators of the abuse continue their wicked acts of violence to the point of death. Certainly, such acts must not go unpunished and justice has to be served quickly to avoid denial of same,” the statement read.
Fight for justice
The group commended the Ghana Police Service for swiftly arresting the husband of Mrs Dedjoe. Prince Charles Dedjoe was arrested based on evidence from photos which were sighted from family and friends sent to them by the deceased.
According to the group, violence against female spouses has far reaching implications on the socio-economic development of the nation and must not be tolerated. It commended the Gender Ministry for its App launch and toll-free number for victims of such abuses.
The group said it is confident that the police would conclude investigation speedily, reveal the cause of death and commence prosecution based on their findings, hoping that justice would be served without any delay.
It also called on the government to ensure sufficient financial and human resource allocation to the Ministry of Gender, Women and Social Protection and the Ghana Police to ensure that victims of several abuses have access to justice.
