Labourer jailed for burning the hands of daughter

Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A) Nov. 7, GNA- The Dormaa-Ahenkro Circuit Court has sentenced a farm labourer to five years imprisonment for causing harm to the hands of his two-and-a-half years old daughter because she ate his soup.

The court presided over by Mr Philip Bright Mensah found Sumailla Zark guilty of causing unlawful harm to the daughter.

Police Chief Inspector Asare Bediako said Mr Robert Gyamfi, Development Officer of Primary Health Care at Dormaa-Ahenkro, complainant in the case, told the police that the accused took the child into his custody after divorcing his wife last year.

The prosecutor quoted Mr Gyamfi as saying that on October 26, this year, he led a team to Kwabena Dwumokrom, where Zark and the child resided for a polio exercise and was alerted by some residents that the accused had burnt the hands of the daughter in a fire.

The prosecutor said Mr Gyamfi went to the accused's house and saw the young girl with her hands severely burnt and was in pains. He took her to a nearby clinic where she was given first aid but was later taken to Dormaa-Ahenkro and a report was made to the police.

The girl was later sent to the Presbyterian Hospital at Dormaa Ahenkro where she was operated.

After Police investigations, the accused was charged with the offence and arraigned before the court.

The accused, who admitted his guilt explained that a day before the start of the Ramadan Festival, his wife prepared food and soup for the next day but the daughter ate the soup and the meat in it. The accused said he decided to punish her so he burnt her hands in the fire.

The court ordered the District Social Welfare Officer to take steps to send the child to the Children's Home in Kumasi.