Child rights organisation Challenging Heights is calling for the swift arrest and prosecution of a woman accused of inflicting life-threatening injuries on her three-year-old stepdaughter in Winneba.
The girl, who was on school vacation with her father, is receiving emergency care at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital after sustaining severe burns to her private parts.
The injuries were allegedly caused when her stepmother, identified as Akaima, a Liberian national, poured hot water on her as punishment for bedwetting.
Founder of Challenging Heights, James Kofi Annan, speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Friday, September 19 described the act as “attempted murder” and urged authorities to hold both the stepmother and the father accountable.
“This is a clear case that fall under the domestic violence Act and the children’s Act. We are calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of this woman because what that woman has done, it’s not only torture but also an attempted murder. We are also asking for the father to also be arrested,” he said.
The ordeal was uncovered when the child’s mother went to pick her up, only to discover she was struggling to walk. Medical officials have since confirmed that the girl’s condition requires advanced treatment.
Beyond demanding justice, Challenging Heights is also urging government to strengthen institutions tasked with child protection, including the Department of Social Welfare, DOVVSU, and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, stressing that underfunding and weak enforcement make children vulnerable to such abuses.
The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) is expected to take over the case to ensure accountability.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
