Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has shared the latest updates on the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) sexual assault case.

In a media engagement on October 26, 2026, she disclosed that three girls who were allegedly assaulted by their headmaster have withdrawn from engagement with the Ministry after some media outlets reportedly disclosed their identities.

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According to her, the exposure had made some parents reluctant to continue cooperating with Ministry officials.

She expressed concern that the development had negatively impacted efforts to support the victims.

Addressing to the media following the reopening of Obuasi SHTS, Dr Momo Lartey appealed to journalists to exercise restraint when reporting on the sensitive matters, warning that the coverage (in the case of Obuasi SHTS) could expose victims to further difficulties.

“One of the challenges we've had engaging the victims is that the media has not helped the case. I will appeal to you very passionately. I will appeal to you with everything you hold dear.

“Two or three of the students have had to withdraw because they had their full names being mentioned on one of the media stations and because of that the parents are reluctant to engage further,” she disclosed.

The minister also expressed concern that some victims whose faces were covered in media reports had still been identified by friends and family members through their voices.

She maintained that the situation was making the Ministry's work more difficult and urged journalists to protect the privacy of the girls while reporting on the matter.

“Even those whose faces were covered, some friends and families were able to identify their voices and it is going against them. It's making the work a bit more difficult than it would normally be,” she said.

Dr Lartey also raised concerns about the pressure the girls had faced from media personnel seeking interviews.

“The victims have also been overwhelmed with questions. They've had media persons harassing them for interviews and this is not the time you ask a victim to come for interview,” she stressed.

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She urged journalists to find other ways of reporting the matter without putting the children directly in the spotlight.

“I will appeal to you, don't let us make stories that can be told from a different point of view and not directly from the children. So, it is an appeal I'm making to all of us. So that they can feel free and trust the process for us to be able to work together,” she urged.

MAG/VPO

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