Granny jailed for burning arm, legs of girl,9, with heated knife

A Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced a trader to four years imprisonment for burning the right arm and two legs of a nine year old girl with heated kitchen knife.

Faustina Nartey a grandmother of the victim was found guilty on the charge of causing harm at the end of the trial.

The court presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin Doku ordered that the victim should continue to stay in the custody of the Children Relief Centre.

It further ordered the Director of Social Welfare to appoint a social welfare officer to visit the centre regularly and submit a report to the court to ascertain whether or not the victim should continue to stay at the centre.

Detective Inspector Grace Bandoh said the complainant in the case was an informant who wanted to remain anonymous.

According to the prosecutor the complaint on March 8, this year, brought the victim to the Police from Kotobabi No 2, on the Spintex Road, with burns on her right arm and two legs saying the victim was being maltreated by Faustina whom the victim was staying with.

Inspector Bandoh said the victim narrated that she was sent by Faustina to go and buy waakye and the victim went on this journey with her the complainant’s daughter.

On their return, Faustina got angry that the victim went with the complainant’s daughter and asked her the complainant's to turn on her gas stove and heat a kitchen knife for her.

Faustina, prosecution said used the heated kitchen knife to burn the victim severally.

The police subsequently sent the victim to the Police hospital for treatment.

Faustina however went into hiding on hearing that the matter had been reported to the Police.

On April 5, this year, Faustina was arrested and during interrogation and in her caution statement, admitted burning the victim with the heated kitchen knife.