Daniel Nortey apologises for comments questioning the severity of rape

Daniel Nortey, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Officer for the Amasaman constituency, has issued a formal public apology following a wave of condemnation over remarks he made regarding rape. The apology follows a televised panel discussion where Mr. Nortey appeared to question the severity of sexual assault, a move that triggered intense backlash from the public and social media users across Ghana.

The controversy stemmed from comments made on Amansan TV during a segment focusing on the ongoing scandal involving Zakaria Abdulai, the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School. Mr. Abdulai is currently facing allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students. During the panel discussion, Mr. Nortey made statements that were widely interpreted as trivialising sexual violence and the trauma of victims, reportedly asking "what is wrong with being raped" and dismissing the allegations with "he's a rapist, so what?"

Netizens and civil society members quickly took to social media to blast the communicator, describing his remarks as insensitive and harmful. In response to the growing anger, Mr. Nortey released a video on Facebook to express his deep regret. In the video, he pleaded for forgiveness from Ghanaian women, the general public, and the leadership of the NDC, acknowledging that his words were inappropriate and did not reflect the values of his office or his political party.

This incident has sparked a broader conversation about the conduct of political communicators on national platforms, particularly regarding sensitive social issues like gender-based violence. While Mr. Nortey has sought to make amends through his public plea, the incident highlights the increasing scrutiny faced by party representatives when discussing legal and ethical matters in the public domain. The NDC leadership has not yet issued an official statement regarding potential internal disciplinary actions following the apology.