A 28-year-old trader in central Ghana has been remanded in custody after allegedly attacking her 10-year-old daughter with a machete during an interrogation over suspected sexual abuse.
Monica Ampomah appeared before the Assin Fosu District Court charged with causing harm following the incident, which occurred in the early hours of 21 July.
Presiding Magistrate Abdul Majid Iliasu ordered that Ms Ampomah remain in police custody for a fortnight and undergo a psychiatric evaluation to assess her mental fitness to stand trial.
The court heard that the mother had grown suspicious after noticing unusual discharges on the Primary Five pupil’s underwear over a two-month period.
Believing the child was hiding the identity of an abuser, Ms Ampomah allegedly woke her at around 03:00 GMT to demand answers.
When the girl denied being abused, her mother allegedly beat her with a cane before escalating the assault using a metal implement designed for handling hot cooking pots.
Prosecutors allege Ms Ampomah then picked up a machete and struck the child across the head, hand, and fingers, inflicting severe wounds, before casting her out of the home around an hour later.
The injured child sought refuge with her headteacher, who alerted medical staff at St Francis Xavier Hospital in Assin Fosu.
A nurse at the facility arranged treatment and contacted the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service.
Following a formal medical assessment, police arrested Ms Ampomah. Prosecuting Inspector Matilda Osaah Buabeng formally presented the case to the court.
She is scheduled to make her next court appearance on 3 September.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana