Residents of Mafi Adidome Traditional Area in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region were thrown into a state of shock and disbelief over the weekend following the arrest of an 18-month-old girl, Princess Gokay.
Princess has been accused of attempting to give poisonous substance to her uncle’s son, Kwabla Gokay (5 years) who is sick and bed-ridden.
The one-and-half-year old girl is scheduled to appear before the Mafi Adidome Magistrate Court today, Tuesday, May 22, 2018 to answer the charge of attempted murder.
Friday’s incident left many residents dumbfounded for which they jabbed the Mafi Adidome Police Command for doing the unimaginable.
Mother of the little girl, Madam Esinam Yevuyibor, revealed that police officers from Mafi Adidome District Police Command came to her house on Friday, May 18, 2018 and arrested Princess Gokay.
Madam Yevuyibor explained that the police told her the arrest of little Princess was as a result of a complaint lodged against the suspect, Princess Gokay, by Mrs Akpene Gokay of an attempt by the 18-month child to allegedly poison her five-year-old son, Kwabla Gokay.
“We were shocked at the forced charge preferred against the little girl by the police officers because Princess who cannot talk or knows her left from right could not do such thing to her sick brother,†she said.
According to her, since the five-year-old Kwabla Gokay became sick and bed-ridden, little Princess has been paying regular visits to him in his room and often plays with him and wondered how she could take a bottle containing a poisonous substance to kill Kwabla.
Adidome District Police Commander, Phanthomas Opat, expressed he was confused about the incident since even a child of twelve years below commits no criminal offence and gave the assurance that he will get to the bottom of the matter.
Per the understanding of Prime News Ghana however, Section 26 Act 29 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 states that
"Nothing is a crime which is done by a person under twelve years of age.Â
Illustration
aged eleven years administers poison to B. A. is deemed not criminally responsible and considered incapable of understanding the consequences of his actions from a legal perspective."
The illustration given by the law is very similar to the alleged incident stated above, it is therefore ridiculous that an 18-month-old child, an obvious minor could be charged with a crime under the Criminal and Other Offences Act, Act 29 by the Police. Morevover when the alleged offence is an attempted murder.