A baseline study conducted by Community Development Alliance (CDA), has revealed that 25 per cent of girls in the Lambussie-Karni District of the Upper West Region are victims of sexual abuse.

The women and child centered NGO also revealed in the study that about 85 per cent of children in the district suffers some form of physical violence.

Mr Yussif Kanton, Executive Director of CDA, made this known during a rights empowerment training session for school boys and girls including 10 patrons from five deprived communities in the district.

The training programme which is under a project known as “improving juvenile justice and child protection services," is being funded by STAR Ghana, a multi donor pooled organisation.

Mr Kanton said sexual violence leads to teenage pregnancies and high school dropouts.

He said most of the perpetrators of sexual violence are left unpunished.

These and many other problems, he said contributes significantly to the poor academic performance in the district.

Mr Kanton said the project, therefore, seeks to improve access to child protection services that ensure that children live in families and communities free from violence, abuse and exploitation.