A 35-year-old trader, Akua Birago, was last Friday convicted by a Kumasi Circuit Court of inflicting wounds at the back of her two stepsons.
Akua Birago, also known as Dorcas Asantewaa, bit the back of her two stepsons, aged six and four, to instil fear into them for continuously defaecating in the room.
Also convicted with her was the father of the kids, 36-year-old driver James Adams, for conniving with his wife to beat the children and inflict wounds on them.
He was said to have used a leather belt to whip the kids for the same offence.
They both pleaded guilty to the four counts of conspiracy to cause harm, conspiracy to cause physical abuse, causing harm and physical abuse and were convicted on their own plea by the court, presided over by Mr William Boampong.
The court, however, reserved their sentence and remanded them into prison custody to reappear on September 30, 2014 for sentencing.
They told the court that the kids were very stubborn and kept repeating the same offence they were advised against, hence, they were forced to discipline them in order to make them stop defaecating in the room.
Facts
Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector Gullivan Kwabena Tenkorang told the court that the complainant, Station Officer II John Agbetornyo, a fireman stationed at Ejura, with other firemen went to present a talk on fire prevention at a school at Nyankyereneanse, a suburb of Kumasi.
He said after the talk, they were informed by the school driver about the plight of two children whose parents had inflicted wounds on them.
Inspector Tenkorang said after the talk, Mr Agbetornyo, together with another member of staff, proceeded to the children’s house, arrested their parents and took them to the Sofoline Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU).
He explained that in June this year, Adams brought his two children from his previous relationship to stay with him and his new partner, Birago, with whom he had been staying for the past one-and-a-half years.
Mr Tenkorang said two weeks earlier, Adams used his leather belt to whip the children for easing themselves in the room and covering up, which resulted in an unpleasant smell in the room.
He said on September 15, Adams again beat the kids for the same offence. A few minutes after he had left, Birago bit the back of the children.
In their statement to the police, Adams admitted the offence. However, Birago denied biting them but said she used a fork to prick them just to stop them from committing the same offence again.
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