The International Justice Mission Ghana has launched a capacity-building programme for officers of the Social Welfare Department in the Eastern Region to improve responses to human trafficking cases, particularly those involving children.
The training, held for staff of the Ministry of Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, focused on strengthening case handling, legal enforcement, and victim protection systems to ensure traffickers are effectively investigated and prosecuted.
Speaking at the programme, IJM Ghana Social Services Manager, Mrs Vida Mamley-Selorm Hodinyah, said the organisation works to rescue victims of violence, support prosecutions, restore survivors, and assist law enforcement agencies.
Participants were taken through modules including case management, probation procedures, human trafficking laws, and trauma-informed care for survivors.
She noted that one of the major challenges in trafficking cases is the tendency for some cases to be resolved informally outside court due to respect for traditional structures, a practice she warned can weaken justice outcomes.
Mrs Hodinyah stressed that child trafficking is a serious criminal offence and urged frontline officers to ensure cases are pursued through proper legal channels to deter offenders.
Chief Director of the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Ebenezer Amoah, described child trafficking as a “theft of innocence,” stressing the need for stronger coordination and improved systems from rescue to reintegration.
He said officers must ensure that rescued children are treated as survivors with psychological needs, not just witnesses or victims, to prevent further trauma.
The training also emphasized the role of probation officers in rehabilitation, monitoring, and ensuring accountability within the justice system.
Justice System Associate at IJM Ghana, Nana Efua Amanfu, said strict punishment of traffickers remains key to ending the crime, noting that even some parents have been convicted for trafficking their own children.
She urged parents and guardians to be cautious about who they entrust their children to, warning that ignorance of the law is not a defence.
Eastern Regional Director of the Social Welfare Department, Mr Isaac Koramoah Asante, expressed appreciation to IJM Ghana, saying the training would enhance staff competence and improve the department’s response to trafficking cases.
