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The Ghana Psychological Association (GPA) has called on Ghanaians to desist from accusing mothers or grandmothers of witches.
“We must end this trend of unscrupulous and unacceptable behavior,” said the Association and expressed its willingness to take advantage of counseling services for victims.
This was contained in a press release signed by Ms Joy Anima Debrah, GPA National Public Relations Officer, with a copy to the Ghana News Agency.
He said it was not enough for the government to outlaw witch camps, “instead, we should go beyond intensive education in matters of this nature and punish the perpetrators of this inhumane practice.”
The Association said it was very interested in the results of the cases and called for a multi-sector approach to handling such incidents.
The statement called on civil society organizations to pay more attention and resources to change harmful belief systems, which endanger the lives of others, adding: “We seem to forget that these elderly women are mothers, sisters and friends who need our love and support.
The statement says that over the past few months, the Association has followed worrying media reports of barbaric attacks on elderly women in society with great concern.
He recalled that on July 24, various media platforms reported that Madame Akua Denteh, a 90-year-old native of Kafaba in the Savanna region, had been lynched on charges of witchcraft.
“Despite widespread civil society condemnation of this inhumane act and the police action against the perpetrators, just a month later, we have faced another mob attack against a 60-year-old woman in the same region,” he said.
“Madame Meri Ibrahim of Sumpini is now fighting for her life, with her middle finger cut off.”
He said the story in the media said that Madame Meri and other women from that community had allegedly bewitched a gentleman that led to their brutal ordeal, after which their home was torn down with all their property destroyed.
The statement noted that unfortunately many elderly women over the years had suffered violations rooted in cultural beliefs.
The Association said that belief in witchcraft was common in most African societies and Ghana was not exempt and that misfortune, ailments and setbacks were often attributed to witchcraft and beliefs rooted in ostracism were victims. illegal, obsolete and repealed.
He said the Association recognized the difficulties and consequent stressful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on humans, which had also exposed “our lack of knowledge in the areas of aging and degenerative mental disorders such as dementia being misinterpreted.”
The Association said it “supports more scientific and humanistic paradigms that take positive approaches, including psychosocial counseling, and strictly disapproves of any illicit and criminal behavior hidden in cultural practices that especially oppress and discriminate against older women.”
—GNA
