A court in Ghana has fined a Nigerian woman, Chinyere Oburoh the sum of GH¢3,600 in place of a year’s jail term for causing harm to her 10-year-old niece.
According to the prosecuting counsel Sarah Acquah, she said at about 9:00am on May 19, 2011, the Domestic Violence and Victims’ Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Tesano Police had information from an unknown caller that a Nigerian schoolgirl schooling at New Jerusalem Preparatory School was burned with hot water by the aunt. The aunt kept her indoors and did not take her to the hospital for treatment. Based on the tipoff, she said the police proceeded to the school where they took the girl (name withheld), who had sustained severe burns at her back and other parts of the body.
ASP Acquah stated that upon further investigations by the Tesano DOVVSU unit, the victim revealed that she was asked to soak Chinyere’s children’s clothes in a basin but she was slow in doing that.
According to prosecution, Chinyere became angry and slapped her and warned to slap her again, but the victim dodged.
This, the ASP Acquah noted, infuriated the accused who poured hot water which was meant for ‘Eba’ on the girl, resulting in the serious burns.
