Military woman in court for maltreating househelp

A female soldier is facing an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly causing harm and physically abusing a 12-year-old female house help at Arakan Barracks at Teshie in Accra.

Alberta Kweku, 47, allegedly used objects such as cooking utensils, military boots and metal ladle on the victim whenever she made a mistake.

She, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing harm and physical abuse to the victim.

Bail

The court, presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, granted the accused bail in the sum of GH¢2,000 with two sureties after a plea of mitigation by her lawyer.

Presenting the facts, the Prosecutor, Mrs Adolphine Dzansi, told the court that in March 2017, the accused person’s husband, who is also a soldier, brought the victim from Bundase in the Greater Accra Region to assist Alberta take care of her two children.

During the same period, Alberta’s husband travelled to Sudan on a peace-keeping mission, leaving her and the victim.

Since then, the accused subjected the victim to severe beatings with all manner of items whenever the latter made a mistake.

“Due to the consistent assault on the victim, she has sustained scars all over her body,” the prosecutor said.

Serious beatings

Mrs Dzansi added that on February 11, 2018 about 4:30 p.m., the accused person came from town and found the victim sleeping in her bedroom.

She got offended, entered the kitchen, took a metal ladle and used it to strike both hands of the victim, resulting in swells and bruises.

On another occasion, the accused used a military belt to beat her until she sustained bruises all over her body.

“At a point, she struck the victim’s left thigh with the military boots she had on, resulting in a swollen left thigh which made her limp,” the prosecutor stated.

On February 14, 2018 about 9:30 a.m., a Good Samaritan spotted the victim at the 48 Engineers Regiment Cook House with a baby at her back looking malnourished.

He approached the victim who narrated her ordeal, and the case was immediately reported to the Regimental Sergeant Major (R.S.M) who also referred it to the Ghana Military Police.

The case was subsequently transferred to the Greater Accra Regional office of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) who ordered the arrest of the accused.