Police accused of brutalising kids as young as 4 years

Child rights activists have called on the police authorities to sanction their personnel in Elmina who allegedly brutalised some children at the Elmina Zongo.

Six of the ten children who were brutalised have been hospitalised. They were said to be causing a nuisance whilst playing the popular football game on a table.

The police allegedly subjected the children aged between 4 and 17 years to electric torture, sprayed pepper into their eyes and beat them up before finally handcuffing them.

13-year-old Abubakar Sadik Munkaila narrated his ordeal to Joy News’ Central regional correspondent Richard Kojo Nyarko.

According to him, he tried to defend himself but the police were too strong for him. He said: “They kicked and stepped on my chest, subjected me to electrical torture and even put some of the pepper spray on my genitals before I was handcuffed."

The Assembly woman of the Elmina Zongo area, Fulera Garibah, who was present at the alleged police raid is outraged by the treatment meted out to the children.

She noted that one of the children who complained of severe abdominal pains has been hospitalised, and doctors have advised further checks including eye, x-ray and scan tests. She argued that the children’s rights have been violated and the police need to be sanctioned.

Meanwhile a Human Rights Lawyer with the Human rights Network, Ghana, John Burke Baidoo has asked the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS) Unit of the Police Service to take the matter up.

“The 1992 Constitution of Ghana and other International Treaties we have signed prohibit torture. Therefore the function within the Police Service which handles police brutalities and indiscipline of this sort should be the first point of call to correct this mishap”, he noted.

Even though the police operation to arrest the disturbing children is said to have been led by the Elmina Municipal Commander, DSP Godfred Asare, the latter has denied any wrong doing.