Doctor 'angry ' with police(The Mirror, Saturday, January 12, 2013. Page 24)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Koku Awoonor-Williams, has called for justice to prevail to all manner of persons irrespective of their status. Dr. Awoonor-Williams’ was angry that in spite of abundant evidence of defilement of an eight year old girl, the Police are yet to put the case before court to seek justice several months after the matter was reported to them. The Regional Director, just as authorities of the St John Bosco’s Primary School in Navrongo in the Upper East region, said he is shocked and dismayed regarding the decision of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service to release a young man who is reported as having kept an 8 years old class 3 pupil of the school in sexual bondage for four years. In September 2012, the class teacher of the little girl, (name withheld) having observed over a period of time noted that the pupil was always complaining of abdominal pains tried to find out the possible cause of the problem but the girl resisted her attempts. But the teacher suspecting strongly that something serious was wrong with the girl reported the incident to the head teacher and together with some teachers managed to persuade the girl into telling them her ordeal. According to the teachers, the girl narrated vividly how a young man who lives in her neighborhood in Janania, a farming community near Navrongo took advantage of the absence of her grandparents to forcefully have sex with her and threatened to kill her if she revealed it to anyone. From the girl’s narration, the first episode took place some four years ago when she was four years old in kindergarten and since then the young man has continued to sexually abuse her up to date. The alleged culprit according to the girl forcefully had sex with her several occasions, sometimes forcing her to do unimaginable things by an eight year old. He also repeated his threat anytime he had sex with her. The girl narrated that her grandfather once suspected the action of the young man and reported him to his father and for some time he ceased but before long he resumed and has continued since. Further interviews with the girl by the teachers revealed that her parents are divorced and her father took her to live with her grandfather while he migrated to southern Ghana in search of work. Upon hearing the agony of the girl, the school authorities sent for the grandfather of the pupil and when the old man was questioned whether he was aware his granddaughter was being abused sexually by a young man in the neighborhood he responded in the affirmative but added that he reported the action of the young man to his father whom he described as a son and he promised to make sure he gets his son to put a stop to the act. He was however not aware if the gentle man had stopped or not. Given that the old man confirmed the little girl’s story, the school authorities decided to report the matter to the Kassena-Nankana East District Police. The girl was subsequently issued with a medical form to go for medical examination following which the young man in question, Master Blaise Ada-enge Akannamse; a 17 years old JHS graduate was arrested. The case was quickly transferred to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Bolgatanga. Information however, has it that the culprit was released the same day and has since being left to roam as a free man in the community. In an interview with some staff of the school, the teachers expressed shock at the twist of events and said the speedy disposal of the case and the release of the suspect leaves them at a lost. , As one of them put it “We have no idea what happened and the case has been dismissed, no one has come to tell us anything not even something we should all do to help the little girl. We are afraid." "Before making the report to the Police, we thought the perpetrator when found will be made to face the full rigors of the law and something deterrent done to save the innocent girl and other potential victims, surprisingly however, the case has taken a different turn. Now if the gentleman has been freed for whatever reason, how can we guarantee the safety and security of this little girl and other girls in the community? Perhaps something is wrong somewhere”, the teacher lamented. The officer in charge of Girls Education at the Ghana Education Service, Kassena-Nankana East District Directorate, Madam Mary Rose Abachele, who was apparently not aware of the dismissal of the case also expressed shock and surprise and fear about the outcome of the case and said her office was not informed of the action of the police. When the DOVVSU office was contacted the Officer in charge, ASP Kojo Apiah-Kubi, confirmed the case and said they had to discontinue the case for lack of evidence. He said the alleged case took place more than six months ago and was not immediately reported and when they issued a medical report, the Doctor could not established that there was rape. The decision of the Police however has not gone down well with health and humans rights experts. The Upper East Regional Director of Health speaking on the matter in an interview expressed anger, shock and dismay at the action of the Police and called for justice for rape and defiled victims. He lamented “This is a sad and shocking story. If the Police cannot protect innocent victims and ensure justice prevails and people are safe, then we are heading for “Animal Farm”. Dr. Awoonor-Williams called on the police administration to do the right thing and restore hope to vulnerable people who seek justice. He indicated his intentions to follow every development relating to the case just to be sure that it is not swept under the carpet promising to back the course of justice for the little girl whatever it may take. -end-