The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has renewed its call on Parliament to urgently pass the long-awaited Anti-Witchcraft Bill, warning that continued delays could lead to further abuse and violence, particularly in rural communities where witchcraft accusations remain prevalent.

According to a myjoyonline.com report on July 24, 2025, it said CHRAJ stressed that enacting the bill would not only help save lives, but also affirm Ghana’s commitment to human rights, dignity, and justice.

The renewed call came during a forum held on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, to mark five years since the brutal lynching of Akua Denteh in the Northern Region.

CHRAJ Commissioner, Joseph Whittal, joined several Civil Society Organisations at the event in urging swift legislative action.

“The bill is long overdue. Why don’t you allow the bill to pass, and then anybody who thinks there is a basis for challenging it can take it to the Supreme Court? We now have another president, who, interestingly, comes from the very region where most of these witchcraft accusations are reported,” he indicated.

The call for action comes in the wake of a disturbing incident at Anhwiesu in the Central Region, where on July 22, an 11-year-old girl and three elderly women were accused of engaging in spiritual attacks.

Reports indicated that the girl, a primary six pupil, was accused by a classmate who claimed to have supernatural powers.

The classmate alleged that the girl had spiritually ‘tied’ two other pupils and conspired with the elderly women to harm a teacher.

A community-led exorcism was conducted, during which a fetish priest claimed he had ‘seen’ the girl’s alleged spiritual actions.

The child was forced to undergo a ritual, while the elderly women, who insisted they were innocent, refused to participate.

CHRAJ and rights groups say such incidents highlight the urgent need for legal protections to prevent further harm, especially to women, children, and the elderly who are often targeted in witchcraft-related accusations.

MRA/AE

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