The Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana, The Most Rev. Prof. Johnson Asamoah-Gyadu, has called for compassion, restraint, and pastoral sensitivity following the controversy involving a self acclaimed Russian tourist who shared intimate encounters with Ghanaian women online.
The controversy follows videos posted by a Russian content creator identified as Yaysteslav, which began trending on X, formerly Twitter, and sparked widespread debate among Ghanaian netizens. The videos reportedly capture moments from initial contact to intimate bedroom settings. Beyond the clips shared publicly, he is said to operate a private Telegram group with a monthly subscription fee of five dollars, where more explicit content, not permitted on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, is allegedly made available.
In a post shared on his Facebook page, the Presiding Bishop expressed deep concern about the language and tone adopted in public discussions. While he stated that he does not condone immoral behaviour, he emphasized that he is not privy to the women’s side of the story and therefore hesitates to condemn them outright.
“In the last few days, some women have been in the news for the wrong reasons,” he noted. “A Russian tourist has messed them up and, without any regard for the impact on their social lives and families, has shared his sexual encounters with them on social media.”
He particularly lamented the demeaning descriptions used against the women. “My heart sunk when in one media commentary, the ladies were described as ‘cheap’. No human being, regardless of their mistakes and failures in life, deserves to be described as ‘cheap’,” he stressed.
According to him, beyond the online spectacle lies a painful human reality. The women, he observed, may already be experiencing shame and embarrassment while wondering how to repair the damage to their reputations. In Ghana’s conservative society, he warned, such experiences may follow them for years, with some married women potentially facing the breakdown of their marriages.
From what he described as a purely pastoral viewpoint, the Presiding Bishop said he sees the women as victims of what he termed the Russian man’s beastly and vain sexual pursuits. He therefore urged commentators, preachers, and media practitioners to exercise caution and avoid compounding their distress.
“I invite commentators to spare them further agony by not rubbing it in from pulpits and media stations before hearing their side of the story. The women need our pastoral support, not condemnation,” he appealed.
Drawing from biblical examples, he referenced how Jesus handled morally sensitive situations involving Mary Magdalene, the woman caught in adultery, and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, emphasizing restoration rather than humiliation.
He also extended a direct message to the affected women, offering reassurance of divine mercy and redemption. “If you are reading this and it is your story, I offer you God’s redemptive grace in your time of distress. None of you is beyond God’s forgiveness and redeeming power. Avoid suicidal thoughts and self harm,” he counselled.
Quoting Galatians 6:1 to 2, he reminded Christians of their responsibility when responding to moral failings. “My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.”
The Presiding Bishop’s intervention has introduced a pastoral and ethical perspective to a debate largely driven by outrage and sensational commentary, shifting attention toward dignity, restoration, and responsible public discourse.
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