Alberta Kweku, a soldier who lives at Arakan Barracks, Burma Camp in Accra has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for physically abusing and causing harm to her 12-year old househelp.
The Accused person pleaded not guilty.
In reading the brief facts, the Prosecutor DSP Adolphine Dzansi said that Complainant, Francis Opoku is a soldier aged 47 years and lives at 48 Engineers Barracks at Teshie in Accra. In March, 2017, the Accused person’s husband who is also a soldier, went for the victim from her mother at Bundase in the Greater Accra region to assist the Accused take care of her two children.
She explained that during the same period, the Accused person’s husband travelled to Sudan on a peace keeping mission, leaving the Accused and the Victim.
According to the Prosecutor, since then, the Accused had been subjecting the Victim to severe beatings using objects like cooking utensils, knife, metallic ladle, military belt and boot, whenever the Victim made mistakes. Due to the consistent assault on the victim, she had sustained scars all over her body.
She narrated that on 11th February, 2018, at about 4:30 pm, the Accused person came from town and found the victim sleeping in her bedroom. The Accused person became offended, entered the kitchen and took a metallic ladle and used it to hit both hands, resulting in swells and bruises on the victim.
DSP Dzansi added that on 12th February, 2018, at about 8 am, the Accused person made the Victim carry her baby at the back to her work place at the 48 Engineers Regiment at Teshie and kept the victim and the baby in a room in the barracks.
According to the Prosecutor, on the same day at about 1:30 p.m., the Accused person came to the side room and found the Victim sleeping while the baby was crawling in the room. The Accused person became angry, took a metallic fold chair which was in the room and used it to hit the victim several times resulting in a swollen forehead, head and bruises as well as scars on the head with a fresh cut on the forehead. “Not satisfied, on reaching home at about 3:30 p.m. she used a military belt to beat the Victim until she sustained marks all over her body. At a point she hit the victim in her left thigh with a military boot which she was wearing at the time resulting in a swollen left thigh and this had caused the victim to limp on the leg”, DSP Dzansi said.
The Prosecutor said that on 14th February, 2018, at about 9:30 a.m., the Complainant spotted the victim at the 48 Engineers Regiment cook house with a baby at the back and looking malnourished. The Complainant approached the victim and realised that she was limping on the left thigh and also had swollen forehead and hand, as well as old and new bruises all over her body. According to DSP Dzansi, the Complainant questioned the victim as to what happened to her and she narrated her ordeal to him.
She added that the complainant then called the 48 Engineers Regiment Regimental sergeant major (R.S.M) on phone. The R.S.M rushed to the place and saw the condition of the victim.
The Prosecutor said a report was consequently made to the Ghana Military Police and the Victim was rushed to the Kpeshie Medical Centre.
“The case was transferred to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, where the Victim was sent to the hospital for examination and treatment and reports submitted on her”, she added.
DSP Dzansi said that the Accused person was arrested and in her caution statement admitted using a metallic ladle and cane to beat the victim.
The Accused person has been granted bail in the sum of ₵20,000.00 with two sureties.
The case has been adjourned to 13th March, 2018.
Source: Ghanajustice/F.Kyeremanteng
