The Techiman Circuit Court in the Bono East Region has sentenced a 41-year-old woman, Mariama Issah Sulemana, to four months imprisonment for abusing and causing harm to her 12-year-old stepdaughter.
Mariama, a staff member of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and a caterer, pleaded guilty to the charge after being arraigned before the court.
According to court proceedings, the victim, whose name has been withheld, is a JHS One student at Nkwaeso Methodist School.
Police Prosecutor Inspector Ofori Yeboah told the court that the accused was arrested on Saturday, May 24, 2026, after the Techiman Municipal Girls Education Officer, Mrs. Ellen White Opoku, reported the matter to the Techiman Divisional DOVVSU following information about the child’s abuse.
Investigations revealed that Mariama inflicted severe wounds on the victim’s palm, face, and other parts of her body using a car key. She allegedly claimed the child had been stealing money from her, which she said pushed her to commit the act.
The accused, who has worked as a public servant for about 15 years, was transferred from Takoradi to Techiman approximately two years ago. She later married a widower with two children while already having children from previous relationships. Before her imprisonment, the household reportedly consisted of seven children, including the couple’s infant child.
Police initially granted her inquiry bail because she had a one-and-a-half-month-old baby.
However, after investigations, she was formally charged and brought before the Techiman Circuit Court, where she admitted to the offence but attempted to justify her actions by citing frustration and personal challenges, including her husband’s prolonged absence abroad.
The presiding judge rejected the explanation, stating that the accused had shown no genuine remorse for her actions.
Although she was convicted on Thursday, May 28, she was remanded into police custody and reappeared on Monday, June 1, 2026, for sentencing.
In delivering the sentence, the judge said the punishment was intended to serve as a deterrent to others who abuse children.
The court further ordered that the two stepchildren be placed in the custody of their father’s family, while the remaining children be referred to the Family Tribunal to determine appropriate care arrangements during the mother’s prison term.
Speaking to the media after the ruling, Nana Asantewaa Munufie, Techiman Municipal Guidance and Counseling Coordinator and Queen Mother of Hansua as well as Banmuhemaa of the Techiman Traditional Council, warned parents and guardians against maltreating children.
She stressed that the Ghana Education Service and traditional authorities would ensure that anyone found abusing children faces the law.
Nana Asantewaa Munufie also welcomed the court’s directives regarding the welfare of the affected children, describing the decisions as appropriate and necessary.
