DOVVSU shields minister’s body guard in defilement case

The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service has failed to initiate the process to prosecute Lance Corporal Emmanuel Bartels, who allegedly defiled 12-year-old girl at Lapaz even though a formal complaint was lodged at the Ministries DOVVSU a year ago.

The suspect was a guard at the residence of Minister for Communication, Dr Omane Boamah, when he committed the alleged offense.

Parents of the 12-year-old defiled girl are dissatisfied with DOVVSU’s response to the defilement charge.

Lance Corporal Emmanuel Bartels allegedly defiled the 12-year old child in her father’s house on three occasions, impregnating her in the process.

The police officer, who was a co-tenant in the girl’s father's house at the time of the incident, has however denied the allegation.

The Police Service interdicted Lance Corporal Emmanuel Bartels after Atinka News broke the story last year. However, the case is yet to be processed for court after almost a year.

Parents of the child told Atinka FM’s Regina Asamoah who visited their home at Lapaz that they are dissatisfied with the work of the police and have therefore vowed to press on for justice to be served.

Father of the girl, Mawuenyegah Quashie narrated the frustration he had to go through to petition the Office of the President, Director at the Police Intelligence Professional Standards (PIPS), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Attorney General, Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice,

The Interior Minister and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and Social Protection. He added that none of these institutions has responded to his petition.

He expressed disgust at how the poor are treated in the country when they are abused by influential people.

Mr. Quashie still strongly believes that the Minister of Communications Dr. Omane Boamah, the Bartels Family and some unidentified influential people are stalling the investigation.

DOVVSU Concerns

The Ministries' Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit had insisted that investigation was ongoing after Atinka News reported on the 29th June, 2015 that the father of the defiled child, Mr. Mawuenyega Quashie suspected a cover -up .

The Officer in charge at the Ministries' DOVVSU, DSP Eunice Donkor had insisted they were waiting for an age assessment to confirm that the child is indeed 12-years before any further action could be taken.

The police had insisted that they could only take action after results of the age assessment had been released.

Tussle over true age of defiled child

While the parents say the victim is currently 13-years, an age assessment conducted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to determine her true age indicated that she is 17-years.

Unfortunately, the parents of the victim could not provide any documentary proof to support their claim.

However, the assessment obtained from the Radiological Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on June 5, 2015 indicated the girl is 17-years which means the suspect could only be charged for alleged rape but not defilement.

The parents subsequently suspected foul play and petitioned the Child Health Department at Korle-Bu where the child was born, to trace all documents covering the period her mother, Judith Korang was admitted to the Labour Ward of the facility till she delivered and was discharged.

The parents’ claim was justified after investigations by the Child Health Department revealed the girl in question was indeed 12-years when she was defiled, late 2014.

A letter addressed to the Child Health Department from the Maternity Ward of the same hospital confirmed that Madam Judith Korang, delivered the child at the KBTH Maternity block.

“Madam Judith Korang was admitted and discharged on October 24, 2002 and October 30, 2002 respectively, in which she delivered a Female Child on October, 25th, 2002 thereby authenticating the date of birth and sex of child…” the letter indicated.

Independent checks conducted by Atinka News at the Community Day International School where the girl started her nursery education also revealed that she was admitted to Nursery “one” on April 24, 2004 at age two. On the admission form, her date of birth is given as “25th October, 2002”.

Parents' Concerns

“We want the case to be called at the law court. Even if the police are claiming my daughter is 17-years which I know is false, they should charge the police officer with the appropriate offense so we all appear before the law court. Then we all prove who is telling the truth,” Mr. Quashie charged.

Madam Judith Korang on the other hand feels that because they are from a poor home and not connected to any one in government, the police is treating their case as a foolish one.“But the God we serve will judge each one of us,” she said.