Bantama gang rape trial to begin Feb 9

The Kumasi Circuit Court One has set Friday, February 9, 2018 to start the trial of the case involving five boys who allegedly gang-raped a teenager at Bantama in the Ashanti Region.

The court, presided over by Comfort Tasiame, ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear the case after contention on the real ages of the suspects were determined on Wednesday, February 7, 2018.

The court further remanded the suspects to reappear on Friday, February 9, 2018 to start the trial.

It would be recalled that the Asokwa Juvenile Court on Wednesday, 17 January 2018 struck out the case for want of jurisdiction after the prosecutor told the court that one of the suspects' age was above 17 years and would want to try the case in an open court.

The suspects were discharged and re-arrested by the police.

The suspects were put before the Kumasi Circuit Court One on Thursday, January 18, 2018, but the case was adjourned after the prosecutor pleaded for more time to conduct further investigations since Bantama St. Anthony R/C Primary did not produce the age records of one of the suspects.

The Asokwa Juvenile court had earlier ordered three of the suspects’ schools, namely Weweso Primary School, Obuasi Amamom Primary School and Bantama St. Anthony R/C Primary School to produce the age records of the suspects after the parents of the accused persons failed to produce their birth records.