Boy, 19 remanded for poisoning daughter

A circuit court at Berekum has remanded a 19 year-old final year student of the Berekum Demonstration JSS, Bernard Amankwaa, in prison custody for allegedly poisoning his one week old baby girl. His plea was not taken.

He is to reappear on the 28th of this month.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Agnes Adonu told the packed court that doctors at the Holy Family Hospital at Berekum had verbally said the baby died from poisoning. The accused attempted to run away when police went to arrest him but he was over-powered.

Chief Inspector Adonu said Bernard impregnated a 16-year-old househelp at Berekum last year. The matter came before the two families and the family of the accused accepted responsibility and agreed to cater for the girl.

The prosecutor said on December 25 last year, the girl gave birth to a bouncing baby girl.

She said at about 3 a.m. on December 30, while the girl and the baby were in their room, there was a knock on the door and when the girl opened it, she saw the accused.

Bernard told the girl that he was visiting the baby so she ushered him in. She later went out to urinate and on her return, the accused sought permission to leave.

Soon after he left, the baby started foaming on the mouth. She raised an alarm and some people in the house sent the baby to the hospital.

Chief Inspector Adonu said at about 6 a.m. that very day, the baby died.

The body of the baby has been deposited at the morgue pending autopsy.