A teacher is among suspects arrested for defiling schoolchildren in Ghana’s Upper East Region, as new figures reveal at least six children were sexually abused across three districts between July 2025 and March 2026 — exposing alarming gaps in child safety, even within school walls.

The cases were recorded in the Talensi District, the Bawku Municipality, and the Bolgatanga Municipality.

In Bolgatanga, a teacher has been arrested and granted bail in connection with two of the defilement cases. In Talensi, one suspect has been arrested while another remains at large. In Bawku, a suspect linked to two cases is still being sought by authorities.

The Upper East Regional Gender Desk Officer, Rita Mbamah, who disclosed the figures at a regional review meeting in Bolgatanga, expressed worry about the involvement of teachers in such acts.

“If teachers, who are supposed to act as parents and protect these children, are rather the ones abusing them, then it means our children are not safe,” she said.

The meeting, organised by the Department of Gender with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), also revealed a troubling statistic that points to a broader crisis: 376 pregnant girls and lactating mothers sat for the BECE and WASSCE examinations in the region during the same period.

Of these, 84 were pregnant girls and 46 were lactating mothers who sat for the BECE, while 111 were pregnant girls and 135 were lactating mothers who sat for the WASSCE.

Compounding the problem, authorities say many abuse cases never reach a verdict.

Sergeant Safia Salifu of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) said complainants frequently withdraw their cooperation mid-investigation, often after being pressured by relatives and community members to resolve cases outside the formal justice system.

The absence of a resident lawyer in the region and persistent interference from families and communities, according to an Assistant ADR Officer at the Legal Aid Commission, Farihan Mutaru, places further strain on legal processes.

The acting Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Gender, James Twene, called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders, noting that quarterly review meetings had already improved coordination and service delivery for survivors.

UNFPA Focal Person Yvonne Wonchua warned that weak data systems were undermining the broader response, limiting the ability to mobilise resources and attract funding for interventions that protect victims and prevent future abuse.