Addressing human trafficking: 33 State Attorneys, prosecutors undergo training in Kumasi
Thirty-three state attorneys and prosecutors of the Ghana Police Service in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have undergone a strategic training session aimed at enhancing the prosecution of child trafficking and related offences in Ghana.
The three-day training, organised by the International Justice Mission (IJM), an international organisation, was also to deepen the legal expertise of the participants, strengthen collaboration and reinforce Ghana’s commitment towards ending child trafficking.
Participants were taken through topics such as human trafficking, witness statements, evidence and evidence gathering, cautioned statements, evidence-in-chief and leading a witness, among others.
Support
A Senior Manager, IJM, Gabriel Acolatsey, said the training formed part of the organisation’s efforts to support government agencies to do their work well, especially in the fight against human trafficking in the country.
He said they saw the need to undertake the training due to an increase in human trafficking cases, adding, “One of the ways to reduce the prevalence of this crime is to adequately train law enforcement officers to be able to handle such cases effectively.”
He explained further that children in particular were trafficked every day to especially work on farms on the pretext of giving them better lives, stressing “such children are often abused, exploited and their rights trampled upon.
“If we do not make law enforcement officers very active and well-equipped to combat this crime, society will one day face severe consequences,” he said and further advised people to be wary of organisations that recruit them to travel abroad for job opportunities.
Enhance legal acumen
Addressing the participants at the end of training last month, the Chief State Attorney, Office of the Attorney General, Ashanti Region, Ernest Ayeh, said the training would go a long way to deepen the legal acumen of the participants and improve their understanding of human trafficking.
According to the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, over 944 victims were identified and referred to services last year.
He stated that the statistics showed a significant increase from previous years and said “many of these victims were trafficked for labour exploitation, including fishing, mining and domestic work while others suffered sexual exploitation.”
Despite efforts to curb the situation, challenges still persist as the 2017 ban on labour migration to Gulf countries, intended to protect Ghanaian workers, has driven migration underground, thereby increasing vulnerability to trafficking, he said.
Strides made
Mr Ayeh said the country had made strides, though initiating 109 trafficking investigations, prosecuting 47 alleged traffickers and convicting 19 under the anti-trafficking law, and stressed that trauma-informed training for law enforcement and judicial officials had also improved victim handling.
He expressed confidence that the knowledge and skills that the participants gained would not only enhance their professional practice, but would also contribute meaningfully to building a more just and equitable society.
“We must be guided by the principles of fairness, impartiality and compassion. In the face of public scrutiny and the complexities of our justice system, our integrity must remain unquestionable,” he told the participants.
In an interview, some of the participants commended IJM for the training as they had been exposed to new knowledge and skills that would enhance their work.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.
