Woman jailed for throwing her baby on refuse dump

The Kade District Magistrate Court presided over by Madam Felicia Anane- Antwi has sentenced a 26-year-old woman to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour for throwing her day-old baby girl away on a refuse dump.

The baby was found dead on the dump hill with part of the body eaten by pigs. The woman, Comfort Asor also known as Ataa Panin, unemployed, pleaded guilty with explanation.

Prosecuting, Police Detective Inspector Isaac Owusu Achaiw said, on April 15, 2017 at about 7:30pm, Kade District Police command received a call that a body believed to be a day-old baby has been found dead on a refuse dump at Akyem Abodom.

The Police proceeded to the scene and found that half of the body from the lower abdomen through the legs including the eyes of the baby had been eaten by pigs.

Investigations revealed that on April, 13, 2017, at about 06.00hrs, the accused who was pregnant went to deliver at the maternity home of one Ellen Amposah, a traditional birth attendant at Abodom.

After the accused had been discharged by the traditional birth attendant, she concealed the baby and dumped it on a refuse dump.

On April 15, the baby was found at the refuse dump and the accused on hearing that her act had been uncovered fled the town.

However, she returned to the town on April, 25 and was arrested and sent to Kade Police Station to assist in investigations.

When given the opportunity to explain, Madam Asor said the father of the baby had refused to cater for her and she could not afford the financial burden of bringing up the child alone.

When Asor made her first appearance, she reported sick and visited hospital for treatment and after numerous court adjournments to enable her to fully recover; she was handed down her sentence.