Two sisters, 18-year-old Emelia Adomaa and 14-year-old Portia Sadia who live in Dormaa in the Bono Region of Ghana have suffered severe burns after Emelia’s former boyfriend set their room ablaze.

According to the girls’ elder sister, Formaa Ernestina, Emelia’s 22-year-old boyfriend got infuriated after she told him about her mother’s advice to her to jilt their relationship because of her level of education.

She alleged that the boy who was a tricycle rider managed to break into their room and spilled petrol and locked the door with his own padlock after he had left the room and set it ablaze. Sadly, she said her eldest sister died through the incident whiles Portia and Emelia sustained severe burns on their faces and parts of their body.

“After Emelia had told him about her intention to quit the relationship, he came to our house and threatened to kill Emelia and then commit suicide. The incident happened on Friday night at 12 am because I was called at around 12:30 am to be informed about it. When I got to their house, I realized that an extra padlock was used to lock the door outside which prevented them from escaping the fire. I also smelt petrol at the doorway which convinced me that the boy used the fuel to undertake the act.” She told crimecheckghana.

Ernestina said the young boy admitted committing the awful crime when she called Emelia to ask for forgiveness. She said he also confessed to the police after he was arrested. She said after they were rescued, they were initially sent to the Dormaa District Hopsital where doctors referred them to the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital due to the injuries they sustained.

Emelia Adomaa who is a Junior High School graduate said her former boyfriend told her she should “wait and see” after she had told him she was no longer interested in continuing the amorous relationship.

Narrating her ordeal in the hands of the tricycle rider, Portia said he raped her and threatened her with death if she attempted to disclose it to anybody. “He raped me when he wielded a knife and a piece of a broken bottle to frighten me. I couldn’t tell anybody about it because he said he will kill me if did.” She said.

Their mother, a 42-year-old farmer who also happens to be a widow, Mary Oforiwaa said it has been difficult paying her daughter's hospital bills of four hundred Ghana cedis for a day for the wards they occupy at the hospital. She said she has been managing to pay the bills through loans and also gifts from neighbours.

Crime Check Foundation, CCF is appealing to the public to contact the Foundation via call or WhatsApp on 0242074276 to support the girls.