- A young girl was defiled at the age of two
- The mother is seeking justice but facing delays in the court system
- The suspect, a 17-year-old named Joseph, is at large
She is helpless and bruised — that’s the story of three-year-old victim whose identity has been withheld.
In January 2023, when she was just two years old, a 17-year-old assailant identified as Joseph defiled her in her mother’s room.
This has left her struggling for her life due to the trauma and the emotional scar.
“My former residence was close to the market where I used to work. I left my child in the care of a lady but she fell asleep. So, the guy took advantage, entered my room and slept with my daughter. I am deeply pained,” the mother said in an interview
When it happened, she could not walk or stand due to the pain, which she has experienced to date.
A medical report confirms the minor was defiled, with her hymen broken and bruises and blood stains seen on her genitals.
The distraught mother says she is frustrated that her quest for justice after her child’s ordeal has been elusive.
“The doctor told me she could struggle to give birth due to her condition. I am tired of the delayed trial. What saddens me is that for six months now, the perpetrator has not made any appearance in court,” the mother added.
I visited the Kasoa Divisional Police Command to meet the investigator on the case, but I did not get the name or contact information as there is a new person handling the case.
A human rights lawyer, who is also the Member of Parliament for Madina, explains the position of the law in such instances.
“Section 101 of our Criminal Offences Act makes it very clear that any form of natural or unnatural canal knowledge of a child below 16 is defilement and you are supposed to go to prison for minimum of seven years or a maximum of 25 years.”
“So, that guy walking about freely like that is a danger to society and a danger to himself,” Francis-Xavier Sosu explained.
The mother of the three-year-old girl claims people, including some police officers, have approached her to give up on the case, but she has refused.
She wants the suspect, who is at large, arrested. Amid the seeming indifference by prosecutors, the mother fears she may not get justice.
“There is a new prosecutor on the case but she has made things difficult for me. It is very painful,” she observed.
Francis-Xavier Sosu says there are still avenues for seeking legal redress.
“It is often said that justice delayed is justice denied [but] for this little girl, she must very traumatized and the family very distressed. It breaks my heart and I think this is something we need to fight for.
Whatever it takes to fight for justice for this little one, I am committed that we get justice for her,” he said.
The defilement of any child is horrifying, traumatic, and unacceptable, and getting justice for Janice and others who suffer it must be a priority for duty bearers.
