The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has revealed that the government is considering extradition as one of the key options in pursuing justice against a suspect accused of publishing intimate images of young Ghanaian women without their consent.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the Minister strongly condemned the act while urging the public not to further stigmatise the victims.
“First of all, let me condemn the act in no uncertain terms,” she said.
“However, in condemning the act I will hasten slowly to condemn the victims so we don’t end up victimising the victims.”
She stressed that protecting the dignity and rights of the affected young women remains the government’s primary concern.
On the issue of extradition, the Minister confirmed that it remains firmly on the table.
“The issue of extradition is one of the many options or one of the key options that we have on the table,” she noted.
She explained that her Ministry, mandated to protect vulnerable citizens, is collaborating with multiple stakeholders, including the victims themselves, to determine the most appropriate legal course of action.
According to her, justice in this case goes beyond prosecution.
“Justice in this case is bringing the perpetrator to book and then also ensuring that we offer the needed psychosocial support for these young ladies to be able to pick up the pieces and move on and build a better future for themselves,” she stated.
She added that efforts are underway to reach all affected individuals, with tailored support depending on their specific circumstances.
The Minister further indicated that investigations are ongoing to establish the full facts of the case, especially in light of allegations that some claims circulated online may not be accurate.
“What we’re going to do is to let the relevant ministries, departments and agencies go into the case and then investigate to ensure that we get the true story of it and then more or less carry the public along so that, like I said, we don’t end up condemning the very people that we are supposed to be protecting,” she said.