Mother of five steals a baby

A 30-year old mother of five has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for stealing a two month old baby girl at Teshie.

Abena Somoah, unemployed, charged with child stealing, pleaded guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku remanded the accused person into Police custody after deferring her sentence to June 14.

It further ordered that the convict be sent to Police Hospital to see a Clinical Psychologist because the loss of her pregnancy might have affected her mentally.

Earlier, the accused had told the court that she had lost a seven month pregnancy for her new husband and she was afraid to inform her husband.

According to Abena, the convict, she did not know what came over her to steal the two month old baby from the mother.

Meanwhile, prosecution had informed the court that the accused person prior to the incident had been pretending to be pregnant and had told the Police that she had been experiencing abdominal pains, connoting someone who was in labour.

When the court asked accused person whether the statement of the prosecution was true she responded positively to that.

Accused person’s husband, who was in court, asserted that his wife was “normal.”

Prosecuting Inspector Judith B. Asante said the complainant Matilda Frimpong was unemployed and reside at Teshie with her boyfriend Kwadwo Dzifo while the accused reside at Nungua.

Prosecution said the complainant gave birth to a baby girl two months ago.

According to prosecution, the accused person is a friend to the complainant’s mother and volunteered to bath the baby.

Based on that the accused planned with another woman, now at large, to visit the house of the complainant to inform her that her mother needed her for an important discussion.

Prosecution said the accused therefore advised the complainant to leave her baby in her custody since her husband was not available.

The complainant left for her mother’s place and when she did not find her, rushed back home to take care of her baby.

Prosecution said when the complainant returned, she did not find the accused and her accomplice.

Complainant’s boyfriend told her that accused and her accomplice had gone out with the baby.

Complainant, however, saw the accused standing outside without the baby, the prosecutor added.

After various searches, a report was made to the Police.

Some days later the baby was found at accused person’s husband’s family house at Kwashieman, Accra.