We are faced with yet another distressing case of violence against a minor, as a 47-year-old man, John Ansah, has been remanded into police custody by the Tarkwa Circuit Courts for consistently assaulting his 13-year-old daughter. The charges brought against him include causing harm, indecent assault, and female genital mutilation, to which he pleaded guilty.
The presiding judge, Mrs. Hathia Ama Manu, convicted Ansah based on his own plea but deferred his sentence to Thursday, April 18, 2024. Furthermore, the court has requested a social enquiry report from the Social Welfare and Community Development office in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality to aid in its decision.
According to the prosecuting officer, Police Superintendent Juliana Essel-Dadzie, the complainant in this case is a supervisor at the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) and resides at Agona Nkwanta. The accused, John Ansah, is the biological father of the victim and a single parent who lives with his children in a cottage at Kwapong within the GREL plantation.
It is deeply troubling to learn that Ansah has been subjecting his daughter to various forms of abuse, accusing her of engaging in promiscuous behavior and taking drastic measures to address his baseless allegations. The horrifying details reveal that on March 24, 2024, he tied the victim's legs and hands with a rope in their bamboo house, then proceeded to inflict severe burns around her vagina and thighs using heated cutlasses.
The victim's harrowing ordeal did not end there. Despite her cries for help and her subsequent escape from the cottage with the assistance of a witness, she was only rescued and admitted to the Nsuaem Government hospital two days later. The authorities were alerted, and Ansah was taken into custody for investigation by the Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address and prevent violence against children. The physical and psychological trauma inflicted upon this young girl is nothing short of appalling. It is imperative that justice is served, and appropriate measures are taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the victim.
As we await the court's decision on April 18, 2024, our thoughts are with the young victim, and we hope for her swift recovery and access to the necessary support services. It is crucial for communities and authorities to remain vigilant in protecting vulnerable individuals from such heinous acts and to provide them with the care and protection they deserve.
-source GNA | curated by Aisha Yakubu | GhanaCrimes
