Parents of 11-month baby maltreated to death by caregiver demand privacy

The parents of an 11-month-old baby maltreated to death by her caregiver at the Happy Bloomers School in Agbogba, Accra lament the wanton circulation of a video of the incident is causing them pain.

“Our daughter was an energetic and bubbly little girl who was looking forward to her first birthday next month,” the parents said in a press release on Sunday, May 30.

“Losing her this way is a profoundly difficult and painful experience for us.

“We would have wished to mourn privately. However, given the video is circulating across mainstream and social media, we request that the public and media remain measured in circulating and discussing the video as it is a constant reminder of what our daughter went through.”

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, May 18, sent shivers down the spine of many Ghanaians.

A video extract from a CCTV footage shows the caregiver, whose name has been given as Clara Yani-Ampah and currently in police custody, restraining the baby and clasping both her hands behind her in an attempt to force-feed her.

The baby died as a result of the incident.

“While the family is steeped in grief over the unfortunate events that led to our daughter’s passing and thereafter, we acknowledge the sympathy and kind gestures of everyone.”

The matter is under investigations.