Man charged for beating 'demon possessed' wife

A 43-year-old man who subjected his wife to severe beating for eight hours under the pretext of delivering her from some demons she possessed appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday.

Charged with two counts of meting out physical and psychological abuse and threat of death, John A. Aheto pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Ms. Sedina Agbemava admitted Aheto to GHc40,000 bail with two sureties to reappear on May 14.

Prosecutor Inspector Kofi Atimbire told the court that Aheto and his wife had been married for the past 10-years and have two children.

According to the prosecutor, the couple resides at Anyaa in Accra. Since the inception of their marriage, the prosecutor said the complainant had been enduring physical, verbal and emotional abuses.

On January 19, this year, the accused person beat the complainant and she absconded from her matrimonial home. Earlier on, prosecution noted that, Aheto and the complainant visited a famous Nigerian Church so that his wife would be exorcized.

On January 26, this year, Aheto locked the complainant up from 2000 hours to 0300 hours and subjected her to severe beating with the excuse of delivering her from the demons she possessed.

Prosecution said Aheto insulted the complainant and accused her of being a witch and prevented her from eating her food.

According to the prosecution, the accused sometimes mixed concoctions and compelled the complainant and her children to drink and bath.

The complainant, prosecution said, who could not bear the abuses, reported the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victims Unit (DOVVSU).

During one of the couple’s meetings at the DOVVSU at the Ministries Police Station, Aheto threatened that if the case should go beyond DOVVSU something terrible would happen.

Prosecution said Aheto called the complainant’s sister and repeated his threat so the complainant and her two children relocated.

Following the report at DOVVSU, the complainant was issued with a medical report and Aheto was arrested.