The 2025 MTN Heroes of Change award winner and founder of The Ark Foundation, Dr. Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, has raised concerns over the high cost of obtaining protection orders in Ghana, arguing that it prevents vulnerable victims of domestic violence from seeking timely legal protection.
Her comments follow the tragic incident in Akyempim, in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality, where a man allegedly set his family home ablaze, killing his wife and five children before reportedly taking his own life.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, Dr. Dwamena-Aboagye said the incident highlighted the broader failure of Ghana’s justice and social protection systems to safeguard victims of domestic abuse.
“Oftentimes, the victim is left to go and look for legal assistance, which is expensive, to apply for a protection order against the perpetrator,” she said.
“Sometimes, they don’t even know that such protections exist within the law, and even when they do, applying for a protection order will cost between GH¢8,000 and GH¢15,000.”
She noted that although protection orders are enshrined in Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act, the prohibitive cost of legal procedures has made it practically inaccessible for those who need it most.
“Who is going to get that amount of money to be able to apply for a protection order, even if they get to know?” she asked, stressing that the justice system’s failure to make such legal safeguards affordable continues to endanger lives.
Dr. Dwamena-Aboagye also called for better training of judges, police officers, and social workers to properly identify and respond to cases of domestic violence before they escalate.
“Violence of this kind is not a common household argument — it is one where one person dominates the other. Unfortunately, most of our institutions need training to deal with issues like this,” she said.
She urged the government and justice sector institutions to waive or subsidise the cost of protection orders and to increase public awareness of their availability under the law.
“It is a failure all around — from our institutions, our laws, and even our communities,” she concluded.
Seven burnt to death in suspected arson attack at Dunkwa Akyempim
