Lengthy Pre-Trial Detentions Criticized
The US Department of State’s 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights, released in April 2025, identified lengthy pre-trial detentions in Ghana as a serious issue, with some detainees held up to 11 years, often exceeding maximum sentences for alleged crimes, violating constitutional rights.
Delays stem from police inefficiencies, lost case files, frequent trial adjournments, high bail conditions, and inadequate legal representation. The report, mandated by US law, also highlighted credible accounts of police brutality, including a February 2024 incident in Accra involving a robbery suspect’s injury during interrogation.
Female genital mutilation, though illegal, persists at a 27.8% prevalence in the Upper East Region, far above the 3.8% national rate. Child marriage, banned at 18, sees weak enforcement, particularly in northern regions, despite the Ministry of Gender’s 2017–2026 framework to empower girls.
Abuse and excessive force by police remain widespread, with victims hesitant to report due to denials or justifications. The report noted Ghana’s cooperation with UNHCR to register Burkinabe asylum seekers since September 2024, easing prior restrictions for those near borders.
Ghana’s Jewish community faced no anti-Semitism in 2024. The findings, covering 3.2 million detainees nationwide, urge reforms to align with Ghana’s human rights commitments under UN standards, as the government reviews judicial processes.