Woman with 9-month-old baby jailed six years for causing harm to son over GHC1

A woman with a nine-month old baby is to spend six years in jail for causing harm to her 11-year-old son over GHC1.

Patience Maame Yaa Botchwey poured boiling water on the genitals of her son, Emmanuel Affenyi, for spending her money on food.

She was convicted on her on plea on May 10, 2018 but her sentencing was deferred by the Takoradi Circuit Court until Tuesday when she was finally handed a six-year jail term.

The court presided over by Rita Doku, directed that custody of the 11-year-old boy be given to the father.

It however, did not give any orders as to what should be done to the nine-month-old baby but it is believed his father would have to take custody of the child.

But a non-governmental organization, Hurds Foundation, which closely followed the case, has offered to support the Social Welfare Department to take care of the Emmanuel Affenyi whose father cannot be traced.

Prosecutors told the Court that Patience Botchwey accused her son of stealing her GHC1 to buy food.

Emmanuel was said to have explained to her mother that he took the money to buy food because he was hungry when he returned from school.

However, the explanation did not go down well with Patience Botchwey who was said to have boiled water and poured same on the groins of the boy, leaving him in severe burns.

She had kept the child at home, trying to nurse the wound herself until a Good Samaritan saw the victim and sent him to the Kwesimintsim government hospital.

The physician assistant at the hospital alerted the police, leading to her arrest and subsequent arraignment leading to her conviction.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Hurds Foundation, Eva Ankrah expressed some concerns about the handling of the case by the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit.

“There is a purpose for enacting the domestic violence act, So when families are involved and the lives of children are at stake, they should use the domestic Violence Act” to deal with it as against the criminal offences Act.