Grandparents refused bail over granddaughter’s burnt buttocks

Grandparents of the 11- year- old victim, who had her buttocks submerged in hot water over her constant bed wetting, were on Thursday refused bail when they made their second appearance before an Accra Circuit Court.

The victim who sustained severe burns all over her buttocks and upper part of her abdomen has had 50 per cent of the burns healed while on admission at Ghana Police Hospital.

Charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit causing unlawful harm, Christiana Torkornu, 50 and her husband James Agbemavor have pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mr Ebenezer Osei-Darko declined them bail and remanded them into police custody to reappear on February 7.

Mr David Kokoh, Counsel for accused persons prayed the court to admit the accused persons to bail in order to present the facts of the matter at the right time.

According to Mr Kokoh, the charges against the accused persons could warrant a bail.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sarah Acquah objected to bail because the victim is still on admission.

She said the accused persons have indicated that they subjected a four year- old boy to a similar ordeal and the police are yet to locate the victim.

Narrating the facts, ASP Acquah said Christiana aka Maame “Wolo” and Agbemavor were married and resided at Sankara, suburb of Teshie, Accra with the victim.

ASP Acquah said at about 0800 hours on January 8, a caller who pleaded anonymity arrived at the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit office at Nungua and alerted the Police that Christiana had made her granddaughter to sit in boiled water in a plastic bowl making her sustain severe burns on her buttocks and rendering her bed ridden.

Prosecution contended that the caller indicated that because the accused persons wanted to conceal their crime, they were hiding the victim in a room.

Based on that information, prosecution said the Police moved swiftly to the scene and apprehended them and during interrogation, they admitted the offence.

ASP Acquah said the Police compelled them to bring the victim out of the room and it was when she came out that the personnel noticed that the victim could neither walk nor sit down because of the severe burns all over her buttocks.

When the victim was sent to hospital, it was found out that the victim sustained other burns on her upper part of the abdomen.

Prosecution said investigations are ongoing.