I woke up one morning, as I do every day, ready to scan the headlines and catch up on developing stories. I tuned in to the AM Show on Joy News, nothing unusual. But what I saw next altered the course of my entire day.
A disturbing video was playing on repeat. Even though the woman had been blurred, the scene was unmistakably traumatic: she was naked, kneeling in the middle of a compound house.
A man walked out holding what looked like canes in both hands and began beating her mercilessly as she screamed and pleaded for help. I had only just started my day, but the visuals kept replaying in my mind.
As a journalist, the questions came naturally: Who is she? What led to this? How did this happen? And most importantly, how did our systems allow this to keep happening?
Later that afternoon, during our editorial meeting, the team discussed the story. We talked through how to approach it, how to report it responsibly, and how to handle such sensitive visuals with care. Yet no matter how we framed the conversation, the image of that woman, helpless, terrified, exposed, refused to leave me.
Then came another layer to the story.
The victim, 32-year-old Harriet Amuzu, narrated her ordeal. She said her husband, whom she has been estranged from for the past five months due to repeated domestic abuse, told her that one of their two children was gravely ill. Believing her child was in danger, she rushed home, only to find the child perfectly healthy. The man admitted that he lied, all in an attempt to lure her back. He even dared to demand sex. When she refused, he subjected her to unimaginable torture.
That torture is what the world saw snippets of in the viral video. She also revealed that she had reported multiple incidents of abuse to the Tesano and Ofankor Police Stations, yet nothing was done.
As the story unfolded, the police finally placed the man in custody.
But what shocked me was what happened next: his sister and brother, fully aware of the abuse, attacked the tenant who recorded and shared the video. The police were then compelled to arrest them as well.
And this is where the bigger issue emerges.
I barely comment on the stories we tell. As a journalist, your sanity hinges on neutrality and some level of emotional detachment. But this story drove a nail through my heart. The visuals were so heartbreaking I struggled to even share them.
The victim says she reported domestic abuse multiple times, yet the police looked on and allowed the man to walk free. What beats my imagination is that a fellow woman, his sister, knew exactly what was happening and still chose to attack the person who exposed the abuse instead of protecting the victim.
Domestic abuse is real. It is happening every day. And countless women are suffering in silence because the institutions that should protect them have failed.
This case highlights a painful truth: Ghana’s social welfare and protection systems are not working.
Not for this woman.
Not for many others.
We have a system that is:
• Underfunded
• Overwhelmed
• Understaffed
And the data reflects this painful reality. In the 2025 national budget, the Domestic Violence Fund, the main source of state support for survivors, was slashed by an alarming 87.66%, with no funds allocated for shelters or capital projects. (Source: Graphic Online)
When a country cuts nearly all financial support for shelters, protection services, and emergency assistance, survivors are left with nowhere to turn, and abusers are empowered by the silence of the system.
If Ghana is serious about protecting its most vulnerable, then reform is not optional; it is urgent.
Police responsiveness must improve. Domestic violence is a crime, not a private dispute.
Protection orders must be enforced with zero tolerance.
Social welfare departments need proper funding, training, and staffing.
More shelters and safe spaces must be created for survivors and their children.
Communities must stop shielding abusers, even when they are relatives.
Enablers must be held accountable because silence is complicity.
This woman’s suffering should not become just another viral video. It must become a turning point.
A wake-up call.
A reminder that real people bleed, cry, and die in the shadows of failed institutions.
Domestic abuse is not a private matter; it is a national emergency.
And until Ghana’s social welfare system is overhauled, more victims will remain trapped, unheard, and unprotected.
We owe them better.
We owe this woman better.
And we owe ourselves a system that truly works.
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