An LGBTIQ Rights Activist and Researcher, Papa Kojo Ampofo has asked Management of the University of Ghana (UG) to appoint an independent body to investigate the circumstances leading to the assault on a supposed LGBTQ+ practitioner on its campus.
He said this in reaction to a press release issued by the University in which it promised to work with the Ghana Police Service to investigate the incident.
In a counter press release, Mr Ampofo wrote, “Members of the LGBTIQ community and Allies reject the statement released by University of Ghana on the circulating videos of an alleged gay man being beaten by a mob of its students on January 14, 2024.”
Mr Ampofo called on the University and its partners to,
“1. Engage with activists and stakeholders in the LGBTIQ community to appoint an investigator to conduct an independent investigation instead of victim blaming and depending on hearsay from perpetrators of abuse.
- Rusticate/ suspend any student identified to have been involved in this until all investigations are over as they continue to pose a danger to university students who are open or perceived members of the LGBTIQ community.
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Produce a work plan on how they intend to prevent any human rights violation of this scale from happening again.”
The LGBTQ+ activist noted they “will be keeping a close eye on this issue to ensure that the victims get the justice they deserve and all perpetrators involved are duly punished.”
Earlier, the Management of the University of Ghana (UG) expressed its commitment to enforcing the rules and regulations governing the University.
This was in reaction to the reported beating of a supposed LGBTQ+ practitioner on the premises of the University.
In a press release signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Dr Elizier Ameyaw-Buronyah, the UG said any member of the University community identified to be involved in this incident will be appropriately sanctioned.
“The University of Ghana strongly denounces the assault and denigration perpetrated by the persons seen in the videos posted on social media and strongly condemns such acts of lawlessness. The University of Ghana would like to affirm its commitment to the safety, dignity, and inclusivity of all persons, as stated in its Statutes.
“Management assures the public that the University will continue to work with the Ghana Police Service for a thorough investigation into the matter and to ensure the safety of all members of the University community as well as visitors to our campuses,” the release stated.
According to the Management, it “learned with concern that a young man was assaulted around the southern part of the University’s Legon campus. The attack was videoed and widely shared on social media. Preliminary information from the University’s Security Services Unit uncovers the following:
A young man dressed like a female was seen in the Okponglo area, seeking accommodation. Believing him to be a woman, he was accommodated by some women in the area.
During the night, the women realized that he was a man, and physically assaulted him.
A refuse collector, assuming the young man to be a woman, intervened and took him to a refuse collection site behind Dr. Hilla Limann Hall on the University of Ghana campus.
Realizing the true gender of the young man the following morning, the refuse collector also assaulted the young man, instructing him to leave the area.
University of Ghana Security Personnel were alerted by students to intervene.
Some of the students who watched the scene took videos.
The University Security Services Unit handed both the young man and the refuse collector (neither of whom is a student of the University) over to the Legon Police for investigation.”
The management stressed that its rules frown on “vexatious conduct that is directed at one or more specific individuals based on the race. ancestry, place of birth, origin, colour. ethnic origin. citizenship, sex, sexual orientation. creed, age. marital status. family status. disability. receipt of public assistance or record of offenses of that individual or those individuals.”