Koforidua, Aug. 3, GNA – Mr Justice G.K. Acquah, president of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) volunteers club, has advocated for stiffer punishment for rapists, especially those who are HIV positive.
Mr Justice Acquah, a Supreme Court judge, said that to deter AIDs patients who double as rapists from carrying out their actions, the current rape law must be reviewed to include provisions that would empower the courts to impose punitive sentences on them.
He was addressing a seminar on reproductive health for the Eastern Region branch of the club Koforidua at the weekend. He said the present scourge of the AIDS epidemic makes it imperative for the Government to enact laws that would protect minors from potential rapists.
“Although the revised rape law is an improvement over the amended one, it still does not take care of what should be done to rapists who are AIDS carriers”, he noted.
Mr Justice Acquah therefore appealed to the law enforcement agencies to get any alleged rapist tested for AIDS so that the courts could be guided when giving judgement.
The Supreme Court judge appealed to the government to increase its support to the association in view of the immense role it plays to ensure that national population policies are implemented.
