A middle-aged man identified as John Odartey Lamtey has been arrested after a disturbing video emerged, showing him mercilessly assaulting his naked wife with a stick in the compound of their home at Ofankor in the Ga East Municipality.
In the viral footage, his wife cried and screamed in pain, at one point kneeling and begging for mercy, yet he continued beating her with no hesitation, no humanity, and no remorse, as if she were not a human being, a wife, or a mother.
This was not the first time. According to residents, he has been abusing his wife for years. He is married to her with children, all living in the same house.
It was a brave tenant who witnessed the violence, recorded it, and shared it, refusing to stay silent. The video drew national attention, prompting the CID to arrest the abuser on 17th November 2025.
Shockingly, after the video went public, two of the man’s siblings attacked the tenant, attempting to silence him for exposing the truth. They too have been arrested and are assisting police investigations.
As it stands, the victim , the woman in the video, has fled and is yet to be found, likely out of fear for her life. The Police are currently searching for her.
This Is Not Just One Woman’s Story , It Is Ghana’s Reality.
Gender-based violence in Ghana is a silent epidemic, hidden behind closed doors and normalized within homes.
According to Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Director of The Ark Foundation: 1 out of 3 Ghanaian women in relationships experience abuse. According to the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey: 41% of women have suffered emotional, physical, or sexual violence from an intimate partner.
And according to ISSER (University of Ghana): Domestic violence costs Ghana an estimated $286 million annually in lost productivity and medical expenses.
How long will we continue losing lives, families, and national resources to violence we can prevent?
Commendation & Call to Action
First, we want to commend the courageous tenant who refused to be silent. You saved a life and protected a woman who could have died.
Second, commendation to the Ghana Police Service for the swift arrest.
But we must go beyond reactive rescue. Ghana already has strong laws, including the Domestic Violence Act (Act 732), but enforcement remains painfully weak.
The reality is heartbreaking:
To obtain a Protection Order, a survivor must hire a lawyer, and legal fees are often unaffordable. Many survivors , often women with limited income and fewer opportunities suffer in silence, choosing to protect their children, preserve a marriage, or avoid disgrace, until some tragically lose their lives.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
We must strengthen the enforcement of domestic violence laws.
Make protection orders accessible and free for survivors in danger.
Increase legal aid and psychosocial support.
Train communities to report and intervene safely.
Empower women to speak up without fear.
Domestic violence is not a private matter, it is a national crisis.
It affects: Families, Children who witness trauma, Workplaces through reduced productivity, The economy at large, Ghana’s image and future
Women deserve safety. Children deserve peace. Ghana deserves better.
A Final Question to All of Us
What kind of society are we building if a woman must bleed, beg, and run for safety before we take action?
Let us choose courage. Let us speak up. Let us protect survivors not abusers.
References
#GenderBasedViolence #JohnOdarteyLamtey #jocifyhub
