The Herald Ghana: Lest we forget about Madam Akua Denteh

For many a critic of the judicial system in this country is the time it takes for a case to be adjudicated. Although, there is a widely held opinion that, the wheels of justice grinds slowly, it is also true that, justice delayed, is justice denied.

In Ghana, justice cannot only be delayed, but it is denied in most of the cases.

Public outrage and condemnation trailed the lynching a 90-year-old woman, Madam Akua Denteh, on Thursday, July 23, 2020, who was beaten to death in broad daylight at Kafaba near Salaga, a well-known slave market in the 18th and 19th centuries. The hysteria and public outcry created by her death was enough to prick the conscience of a nation, which for years, has turned deaf ears to the plight of women, who have been labelled as witches and kept in camps.

The family of Madam Akua Denteh, through her eldest son, Mr Mahama Salami after the unfortunate incident, asked nothing from the State, except justice for their mother.

A lot of the people involved in her lynching were arrested, including the alleged sorcerer, who pronounced her guilty of the crime, without trial.

This newspaper is minded to remind the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, not to deny the woman and her family the justice they need. This justice must be delayed but must not be denied.

Without mincing words, the delay in justice delivery makes it expensive to seek justice in Ghana. Matters that ordinarily ought to have been dispensed within months, linger superfluously for years with litigants having to incur unexpected expenses, including paying for the appearance fees of counsels on each hearing date.

Crime can only be made expensive when perpetrators are speedily tried and convicted to serve as a deterrent for those who wish to tread the same path.

We are not suggesting that accused person should not be given a fair hearing, after all, there is a maxim in law that says, every accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction.

In our considered opinion, the nation's justice sector is desirous of aggressive reforms such that will address all the critical issues that have continued to impede the progress of the sector.

Madam Akua Denteh, will not rest until her assailants pay for their crime. Is being almost four months since her demise, her family and the public deserve to know what is happening to her attackers.

This one must not be added to the tall list of unresolved cases.