Child Rights International (CRI) has applauded the Ghana Police Service (GPS) for their swift response to the flogging of a toddler as seen in a viral video on social media.
According to CRI, their attention was drawn to a video circulating on social media platforms which showed an adult male, brutally whipping a male child around the ages of 1-2 years with tree branches underneath a tree in what appears to be a house compound.
Describing such acts as unfortunate, the organisation admitted these horrific acts are not absent in the Ghanaian society.
In a tweet, the police assured worried citizens who drew their attention to the video that “efforts are underway to track down the individual involved, have him arrested and rescue the child.”
They subsequently announced that “a reward of GHC2000 has been set aside for anyone who is able to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the individual and rescue of the child.”
In response to the Police Service’s action, Child Rights International said “we would like to highly commend and applaud the swift response of the Ghana Police Service in trying to trace the whereabouts of the man recorded in the video.”
CRI also offered an additional cash reward of GH¢10,000 to any individual who will provide details that will lead to the location of the individuals involved in the flogging of a toddler.
“In support of the Ghana Police Service’s effort to locate the individual, Child Rights International, through the office of the Executive Director, is publicly staking a reward claim of TEN THOUSAND GHANA CEDIS (GHS 10,000) to any individual who will be able to provide details that will lead to the location of the individual in question, the person that recorded the video and the individual seated watching the scene unfold.”
Child Rights, whose mission is to promote and protect the inherent dignity of every child and to provide assistance to help children develop to their full potential, added that “numerous children across the country face such abuse daily.”
According to Child Rights International “this video is a clear indication of a dent in child protection efforts in the country and must be tackled with all seriousness and perpetrators of such acts must face the full rigor of the law.”