JONATHAN TURLEY

In one of the world’s most disgraceful religious practices, girls (some younger than ten years old) continue to be made “slaves to the Gods” by priests in Ghana who abuse and sexually assault the girls — serving as surrogates for the Gods. While now illegal in Ghana, Trokosi continues to be practiced in the open and not a single arrest has been made to end the practice.

In the case of Hutealor Wede, she was given to the priests by her grandfather who believed that he was being punished by the gods for having “illegal sex with a woman.” He gave his granddaughter over as a sex slave to improve his own fortunes with the gods.

Here is how the BBC report describes one scene:

The village’s septuagenarian priest was a thin, bearded little man, called Togbe Adzimashi Adukpo. He was the slave master. His throne was a deck chair and before he talked to us, gin was poured into a thimble-sized glass which he drank from alone.

More was mixed with a misty liquid in a coconut shell and splashed on the sand. He sipped from it, wiped his lips with the back of his hand and declared he was ready to be interviewed.

From then on, she is a slave. She is raped frequently

“Yes, the girls are my slaves,” he said. “They are the property of my shrine.”
. . .
The girl kneels in the shrine in front of him and the village elders, all men. Then, while chanting, they strip her of her bracelets, her earrings and all her clothes until she is bowed and humiliated in front of them.

From then on, she is a slave. She is raped frequently.

Once again, I fail to understand how countries can stand silent when such human rights violations are committed in plain view. The lack of action by Ghana must be taken as at best passive acceptance of the practice.

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