A 10-year-old Class Four pupil of Mankessim Anglican School narrowly escaped being assassinated on Monday after testifying as a witness in a theft case at the Mankessim District Court.
The young girl, whose name has been withheld, had identified a suspect named Majeed as the thief who stole a tricycle in the area. While walking home from school around 8:30 am, she was ambushed by three masked assailants who attempted to harm her in an uncompleted building.
The attackers tied her mouth and hands but fled when they noticed people approaching the building, leaving the victim bound and gagged in her school uniform.
According to Beatrice Daamoah, the victim’s mother, the accused thief had previously intimidated her daughter on multiple occasions, pointing her out to his friends as the witness who testified against him.
Despite reporting the threats to the CID officer handling the case, the suspect continued to intimidate her daughter, prompting the family to seek police protection.
The Mankessim Police Command has launched an investigation into the attempted assassination.
“We have commenced investigations into the matter, and we will do everything possible to ensure the safety of the witness and her family,” a police spokesperson said.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of minor witnesses in criminal cases and the need for increased protection for vulnerable witnesses.
