Accra, Ghana//-Members of the African Women Lawyers Association, Ghana (AWLA-Ghana) are seeking justice for the murdered student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ms Joana Deladem Yabani.
The final year Biological Sciences student at KNUST, Kumasi in the Ashanti regional capital was allegedly by her boyfriend, who is also a student at the same university.
He is currently on trial.
The AWLA-Ghana in a statement issued on Monday 3 March 2025 condemned the heinous murder saying “The African Women Lawyers Association, Ghana (AWLA-Ghana) is deeply disturbed and outraged by the gruesome murder of the young lady”.
“This senseless act of violence is a stark reminder of the pervasive and entrenched culture of violence against women in Ghana”, the statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of AWLA-Ghana, Madam Marian Darlington.
We strongly condemn this heinous crime and demand that the suspect be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The statement added that the perpetrator must be held accountable for his actions, and justice must be served.
“We commend the Ghana Police Service for the early arrest of the suspect. We call on the Ghanaian authorities, to take immediate and decisive action to address the scourge of violence against women”.
AWLA-Ghana also urged the media to support their mothers, sisters, and families by providing reportage regarding the investigation, prosecution, and eventual outcome of this case, including any conviction.
It assured: “We stand in solidarity with the family and loved ones of the deceased and demand justice for her and all women who have suffered violence and abuse”.
AWLA-Ghana is alarmed by the increasing incidence of violence against women in Ghana, including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and murder. These crimes are unacceptable and undermine the fundamental human rights of women and girls, the statement concluded.
