The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is urging Parliament to speed up the passage of the Anti-Witchcraft Bill, warning that abuse and violence linked to witchcraft accusations are rising sharply across the country.
CHRAJ says the bill will save lives and strengthen Ghana’s commitment to human rights, dignity, and the rule of law.
At a forum on Wednesday, July 24, 2025, to mark five years since the brutal lynching of Akua Denteh in the Northern Region, CHRAJ Commissioner Joseph Whittal joined civil society groups to demand urgent legislative action. He stressed that women and children remain the most vulnerable targets of such accusations.
“The bill is long overdue,” Mr. Whittal said. “Why not pass it now and allow anyone with objections to challenge it at the Supreme Court? Ironically, our current president hails from the same region where most of these accusations originate.”
His comments come amid growing reports of witchcraft-related violence, especially in rural communities in Ghana.
Just two days ago, on July 22, residents of Anhwiesu in the Central Region accused an 11-year-old girl and three elderly women of spiritual attacks. A classmate who claimed to have spiritual powers accused the girl of “tying” other pupils and conspiring with the women to harm a teacher.
Community elders organized a public exorcism and invited a fetish priest, who claimed he had seen the girl’s actions. The girl was forced to participate, while the elderly women refused, insisting they had done nothing wrong.
In a separate incident on July 15, police in the Bunkpurugu Yonyoo District of the North East Region arrested four people in connection with the murder of a 70-year old woman accused of being a witch. Officers tracked and arrested the suspects from separate hideouts. Several others are still on the run.
CHRAJ warns that these cases reflect a troubling pattern of violence, often involving torture, exile, and murder.
Although Parliament passed the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill in July 2023, CHRAJ, the state must implement and enforce it, Mr. Whittal argued. The bill criminalizes witch-finding, the activities of witch doctors, and the act of labelling someone as a witch.
CHRAJ insists Parliament must act without delay to protect the innocent—and uphold the law.
