A 42-year-old man in the Techiman traditional area of the Bono East Region narrowly escaped death after being brutally attacked by a group of youths who suspected him of being homosexual.
The victim, Isaac Osae Adum, had long been rumored to be gay by some of his friends, primarily because he had never been seen with a girlfriend and only maintained friendships with men, although he consistently denied the allegations.
The situation took a turn when one of his childhood friends unexpectedly visited his house and caught him in a compromising position with another man. The friend quickly took a photo of the two men together and spread it throughout the community, igniting outrage among the locals.
Homosexuality is strongly condemned in their culture, and the news fueled the anger of the youth in the area. The group of young men, armed with various weapons, marched to Adum’s house, where they violently beat him. He was only saved by a few good Samaritans who intervened before the beating could escalate further. Adum was then rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
Despite the attack, the harassment didn’t stop there. The youths warned him to leave the community and have continued to torment him and his family, even going as far as making late-night threats. The constant intimidation has taken such a toll on Adum that he has openly expressed thoughts of suicide.
An eyewitness described the scene, saying, “I was there when they beat him. I’ve never seen anyone treated so harshly, not even a thief. He was begging for his life, pleading that he wasn’t gay, but that only seemed to make the youth even angrier.”
The eyewitness also shared concern for Adum’s well-being, stating, “I feel so bad for him because I don’t think he can even sleep at night. People are constantly banging on his windows, throwing things at him, and making threats. The harassment is unbearable.”
