The Kumasi Circuit Court last Tuesday committed a couple to a prison term of 30 days each for molesting their two children aged six and four.
The couple, a 35-year-old trader, Akua Birago, and her 36-year-old driver husband, James Adams, were last Friday convicted by the court, presided over by Mr William Boampong, but had their sentences deferred to last Tuesday.
The two pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to cause harm, physical abuse and causing harm and were convicted on their own plea.
While Birago, also known as Dorcas Asantewaa, was convicted of biting the back of her two stepsons to instil fear into them for continuously refusing to heed to the advice not to ease themselves in the room, Adams was convicted of using a leather belt to whip the children for the same offence.
The couple told the court that the children were very stubborn, did not heed to any advice and kept repeating the same offence they were advised against, for which reason they were forced to discipline the children in order to make them stop easing themselves in the room.
Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector Gullivan Kwabena Tenkorang told the court that the complainant was a Fire Service officer stationed at Ejura and resident at Abuakwa Koforidua in the Ashanti Region, while the convicts were resident at Nyankyerenease, a suburb of Kumasi.
He said in June this year, Adams brought his two children from his previous relationship to stay with him and his new partner, Birago, with whom he had been staying for the past one-and-a-half years.
Mr Tenkorang said two weeks earlier, Adams had used his leather belt to whip the children for easing themselves in the room and covering up, thereby making the room smell.
He said on September 15, this year, Adams again beat the children for the same offence.
He said a few minutes after Adams had left; Birago bit the backs of the children for the same offence.
According to the prosecutor, on September 18, the complainant, together with other officers, went to the kids’ school to present a talk on fire prevention.
He said after the talk, the school driver hinted the complainant about the plight of the children and the complainant, together with another fire officer, proceeded to the children’s house to arrest the convicts.
In their caution statements to the police, Adams admitted the offence, while Birago denied using her teeth but instead said she had used a fork to prick them just to stop them from committing the same offence over and over again.
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(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)