Court fines JSS pupils for causing unlawful harm

Kuntanase (Ash), Feb 13, GNA - A 17-year-old Junior Secondary School (JSS) girl who out of jealousy bit off the upper lip of her rival for getting pregnant before her, has been fined 1.8 million cedis by the Kuntanase magistrate court.

Rosalina Antwi, who pleaded guilty to the charge of causing harm, will go to prison for six months if he fails to pay the fine. The court, presided over by Mr Agyei Frimpong, ordered that 1.2 million cedis of the fine should be given to the victim, Mary Boahemaa as compensation and the remaining 600,000 cedis paid into government chest.

Chief Inspector Edward Osei told the court that Rosalina shared the same boyfriend, one Kwaku Kwateng, a businessman with Boahemaa, the victim and complainant.

He said all of them lived at Kokodie, near Kuntanase and that the Rosalina was the first Kwateng befriended but she never got pregnant and so Kwateng took Boahemaa in addition.

The prosecution said when Rosalina heard about Boahemaa's pregnancy, she became jealous with fears that Boahemaa might become the wife of Kwateng.

Chief Inspector Osei said this led to intermittent quarrels between the two anytime they met.

He said on December 24, last year, Rosalina and her friend, one Hanna went met Boahemaa at a public standpipe and started casting insinuations at her and when Boahemaa replied, the accused and her friend pounced on her and in the ensuing fight, Rosalina bit off Boahemaa's upper lip to ensure that she became deformed so as not to get married to Kwarteng.

Chief Inspector Osei said a report was therefore made to the Kuntanase police after the victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.