Michael Okyere Baafi, the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South has lamented the rise in child prostitution in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital which happens to be in his constituency.
According to the lawmaker, the sex trade has increased in that part of his constituency by 40%, a disturbing menace he is calling for help to eradicate.
“Child prostitution cases are on the rise in Koforidua by 40%. Children between the ages of 12 and upwards are engaging in prostitution. You must help us fight this canker. Some irresponsible adults have established brothels recruiting these young girls and sexually exploiting them,” Okyere Baafi say.
The news website reports that he made the call during the 31st Night Administration at Methodist Church when he joined the Omanhene of New Juaben Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III to association with the congregation.
It is reported that young girls aged between 12 and 19 years who should be in school are mostly seen hanging around popular drinking spots, pubs, nightclubs, and around a place called Legion Hall area in the evenings wearing seductive dresses and soliciting money from men in exchange for sex.
Okyere Baafi entreated parents to take advantage of the Free Senior Secondary School strategy to guarantee their wards get formal education to become useful to society.
The Eastern Regional Child Protection Committee (ECPC) which is equally worried about the trend urged the district assemblies in the region to enforce the by-laws on the protection of children to help safeguard the future of the youth.
According to an investigation conducted by Starr News Eastern Regional correspondent Kojo Ansah and published in June 2022, some sex trafficking cartels mostly Ghanaians and Nigerians were trafficking young girls from Nigeria to Koforidua under the misrepresentation of employing them in the hospitality industry but abducted and forced them into prostitution upon arrival.
“The victims were confined in Bula spot and Little Ben brothels where they were sexually exploited by the traffickers.”
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The New Juaben South Municipal Security Gathering has since been making efforts to free the jurisdiction of child prostitution but it appears to be a troublesome task.