In Ghana, accusations of witchcraft still kill due to the lack of laws.

Six years after the lynching of Akua Denteh, accused of witchcraft in her village in Ghana, no legislation has been enacted to criminalize these practices. Human rights advocates denounce a persistent legal vacuum that continues to endanger women.

In 2019, Akua Denteh was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of witchcraft. Six years later, her case remains a painful symbol of the impunity surrounding such violence in Ghana. Parliament did pass legislation in 2023, but it was never enacted into law. As a result, accusations of witchcraft, which predominantly target elderly women, continue to spread without a legal framework to punish them.

Habibatou Gologo, Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns at Amnesty International's West and Central Africa office, highlights this institutional deadlock. Between the adoption of a parliamentary bill and its entry into force, women flee their villages, take refuge in makeshift camps, and live in fear of reprisals. These are the trajectories that human rights organizations document and denounce.

The question of the legislative deadlock remains unanswered. Why did the 2023 text fail to become binding law? The answers involve a mix of cultural resistance, community pressure, and political delays. Meanwhile, women forced into internal exile receive no formal protection from the state.