An Accra Circuit Court sentenced a 71-year-old businessman to 15 days in jail for endangering a two-week-old newborn.
This comes after the court convicted Elizabeth Thompson guilty of endangering her grandchild.
Elizabeth is believed to have abandoned the infant behind a guarded wall at the Dansoman Exhibition, claiming that the child was born out of wedlock and that it would be a disgrace to take her home.
Elizabeth was also fined GHC2,400 by the court, which was presided over by Mrs. Christina Cann.
She would be imprisoned for an extra 15 days if she did not comply and was also fined GHC2,400 by the court, which was presided over by Mrs. Christina Cann.
However, the Court acquitted and dismissed another accused individual, Caroline Okine, on the accusation of endangering a child.
Caroline was not involved in the crime, according to the report.
The court ruled in Elizabeth’s case that she did, in fact, expose the infant to danger since the newborn may have been hurt by any crawling animal at the trash site.
The infant was also vulnerable to the elements.
Inspector Opoku Aniagyei, who was prosecuting, stated that the complainant was a 36-year-old businessman who lived in Adedemkpo, Accra.
Caroline, the first accused, is a 28-year-old merchant and mother of three children, including the victim, a two-week-old newborn girl, according to the prosecution.
It was stated that Elizabeth was Caroline’s biological mother.
According to the prosecution, both accused people reside together in their family home, with the complainant (name withheld) as their renter.
Caroline gave birth to a two-week-old baby girl at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on September 20, 2022, and was discharged the same day, but she couldn’t pay her medical costs, so she was held at the hospital until October 4, 2022.
Caroline’s hospital fees were paid for by a nurse at the hospital.
The prosecution also stated, after Caroline was discharged, Elizabeth met her in front of the hospital and took the baby from her, placing it in a black polythene bag before abandoning her in front of someone’s fence wall at the Dansoman Exhibition area, claiming that the baby was born out of wedlock and it would be a shame to take her home.
It was stated that after perpetrating the act, Elizabeth returned and brought Caroline home.
Also read: Mother flushes baby down an Ashiaman WC
The prosecution said several tenants in the residence learned of the crime, detained the two, and transported them to the Accra Regional DOVVSU, where they provided investigative caution statements.
The accused agreed to the crime, and on the same day, October 4, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., a witness in the case observed the abandoned infant.
According to the prosecution, the witness transported the infant to the Dansoman DOVVSU for refuge and treatment, and then to the Department of Social Welfare.
