The founder of the PEC Institute, lead for Bridget Bonnie and Friends, and Head of Information and Public Affairs at the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Bridget Bonnie, has condemned the alleged sexual abuse of female students by people entrusted with their care, insisting that young girls need protection and guidance rather than exploitation.

In a strongly worded statement, she reflected on her experience as a Junior High School pupil, recalling how a teacher she admired chose to guide and mentor her rather than take advantage of her youthful feelings.

She said the teacher encouraged her to focus on her education, believe in her abilities and work towards a brighter future, an experience she continues to remember with gratitude years later.

“That is what true mentorship looks like,” she said, urging men, particularly teachers and mentors, to establish appropriate boundaries and protect children who look up to them.

Ms Bonnie stressed that a child’s admiration for an adult should never be interpreted as consent or an opportunity for exploitation, adding that the responsibility to maintain appropriate boundaries rests entirely with the adult.

“A child cannot be held responsible for an adult’s decision to exploit her. The responsibility lies entirely with the adult,” she stated.

Her comments follow a JoyNews investigation by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, which reported allegations of sexual abuse involving as many as 19 female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School, including allegations of rape.

Ms Bonnie questioned whether alleged perpetrators who had not been exposed believed they had escaped accountability simply because their victims had not come forward.

She also criticised what she described as a recurring cycle in which allegations of abuse trigger public outrage before attention fades, only for similar cases to emerge later.

“We need more than social media outrage. We need accountability. We need institutions that take complaints seriously, protect victims and ensure that those found guilty face the full rigours of the law,” she said.

She called for an environment in which survivors could report abuse without fear of blame, shame or intimidation, while encouraging victims who had remained silent to understand that the abuse was not their fault.

Ms Bonnie concluded by urging men to become positive role models who help young girls feel safe and supported, rather than inflicting harm that could leave lasting emotional scars.

“Dear men, be the reason a young girl believes there are good men in this world. Not the reason she spends the rest of her life trying to heal from what one man did to her,” she said.