The Anglican priest Rev. Father Balthazar Obeng Larbi whose video publicly went viral for force- kissing female students at the St. Monica’s College of Education has publicly apologized for his actions.
According to him, the act was “an attempt to add a human touch, resulted in the scene in the video”.
The Chaplain who happens to be a lawyer in a statement issued on Thursday, August 19, 2021, said, “my attention has been drawn to a video that has been flashed on a number of social media and television screens, and on radio and other media stations. This unfortunate incident happened during a Church Service in appreciation of the Level 300 students, who will be going for their Macro Teaching (Off-Campus Teaching Practice) when college resumes the next academic year, by the College’s Chaplaincy Board.”
He added that that the three students seen in the video performed extraordinarily well and were therefore called to be appreciated by him.
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“Accordingly, I am sincerely sorry for my actions seen in the video. I seemed to have taken a number of things for granted. I did not think my behaviour through, and I admit that the act and its setting are wrong even in the absence of Covid-19.”
He further apologized to the leadership of the church for the embarrassment his actions have caused.
“I sincerely apologize to my Archbishop, the entirety of the Anglican Communion, the College, the affected students and their families, and the generality of the public.”
Background
The Chaplain, and lawyer of the all-female teacher trainee institution was seen in a viral video fully dressed in his cassock, force-kissing three students in turns, in the full glare of a cheering audience.
In one instance, he was seen gesturing to one of the girls, who appeared very uncomfortable with the move, to take off her face mask before holding her head and giving her a kiss on the lips.
The viral video, shot by someone in the audience, generated outright condemnation on social media, although a few people jumped to the Reverend father’s defense, describing his action as a ‘holy kiss’.
Reaction from Anglican Church?
However, the Anglican Church of Ghana, which runs the St. Monica’s College of Education, has expressed its aversion to the incident, maintaining that it has begun its own internal investigation into the matter.
Even before that investigation concludes, the Rev. Father has been relieved of his duties at the school indefinitely.
Find below the release
