Ama was born with hearing impairment some 34-years-ago. She is the firstborn of four siblings raised by their single mother at Koforidua Asokore in the Eastern region.
Their father divorced their mother 20 years ago and abandoned the children. The last born died 4 years ago at age 24 after short illness. Ama, a hearing impaired, and a virgin was allegedly rapped multiple times in their single room while the mother was selling at the shop near the house in June 2021.
The dastardly ordeal allegedly affected her spinal cord hence paralysed. According to the mother, Christiana she noticed bloodstains on the bed of the victim but thought she was menstruating but later noticed the daughter was wobbling and struggling to walk which was unusual.
Weeks later her condition worsened and she began growing lean. Subsequently, it was alleged that a man identified as Isaac alleged to be a teacher and a drug addict who is a household neighbour has been sneaking into the room to sexually assault the hearing impaired victim confirming the suspicion of the mother Christiana who says she met the suspect twice in her room under strange circumstance.
As the condition worsened in June 22, 2021, the mother of the victim decided to report the rape incident to the Koforidua Effiduase police station but was directed by the Police to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVSSU) of the Ghana Police Service at the Eastern Regional Police Headquarters.
Investigators from DOVVSU visited the house but concluded that the complainant did not have sufficient evidence to implicate the suspect to warrant his arrest and prosecution. She was therefore asked to write a letter to withdraw the case from the police station which she begrudgingly obliged.
“I noticed last year in June that something was wrong with my daughter She was struggling to walk. But my daughter is deaf she is unable to speak.
“I noticed later that she has been raped. Before then I saw blood on her bed but I thought she was menstruating. When I went to report at the police station they told me so far as I did not see the suspect in the act there is no evidence to implicate him. I was surprised because my daughter cannot speak and I have seen the suspect strangely in my room. Ama was strong, she walked normal, she used to sweep and dispose off the rubbish”.
A visit to DOVVSU for a reaction was not successful as the Commanding officer was said to have travelled but the station officer confirmed a complaint of such nature was made but refused to provide details.
The single mother narrated further that she sent the victim to the Eastern Regional hospital for medical examination but was asked to take the victim to a bigger facility
The victim was taken to Focus Hospital, a private health facility in Accra on November 11,20221 where Doctors diagnosed her of cord compression and myeloradiculopathy.
However, the hospital was charging Ghc90,314 as the cost of surgery but the mother could not afford hence brought the victim home.
She later took the victim to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where after a series of medical examinations and laboratory tests charged Ghc34,267.60 as the cost of the intended surgery.
The single mother could not afford the bill and hence brought the daughter home despite her deteriorating condition.
She has been roaming for assistance from benevolent individuals and organizations including the New Juaben North Department of social welfare to mobilize funds for the surgery but has not been successful.
Currently, the condition of the victim continues to worsen from bad to worse resulting in chronic constipation and urinal retention.
Christiana, the mother of the victim told GHOne TV she wears gloves to scoop out the faeces from the anus of the victim almost every day.
She baths the victim in a rubber bowl in the bedroom because she is unable to walk.
Christiana is appealing to philanthropists to assist her to raise funds to support the surgery of the daughter.
“Korle Bu is charging GHC35,000 before they do the surgery. After the surgery, we will buy blood, medicine and other expenses so we estimate everything to be around Ghc50,000. I am pleading to philanthropists to help me save the life of my daughter”.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
