Trafficking cases face prosecution blocks

Every year, hundreds of human trafficking cases are reported across Ghana, yet for many victims, justice appears to stall long before a judge ever hears their case. A My Joy Online research analysis of official human trafficking data spanning 2017 to 2025 reveals a striking gap in Ghana's criminal justice process. Over the nine years, authorities recorded 1 264 human trafficking cases. Of these, only 361 progressed to prosecution, and just 158 resulted in convictions. The figures mean fewer than three in every 10 recorded cases proceeded to prosecution. Notably, once a case does reach prosecution, the odds of conviction improve considerably: 158 of the 361 prosecuted cases – close to 44% – ended in a conviction. That pattern points to where the system's biggest leak really sits: not in the courtroom, but in the much earlier gap between a case being opened and a prosecutor deciding there is sufficient evidence to proceed. Officials identified 7 407 human trafficking victims in Ghana between 2017 and 2025; an average of more than 800 a year, though the true number is almost certainly higher, since these figures capture only cases that came to the attention of investigators. One year stands out sharply: 2025 alone accounts for 2 331 of the nine-year total – nearly a third of all victims identified since 2017, and almost three times the number recorded in 2024.