Police yet to proffer charges against gang rape suspects

It is emerging that the Police are yet to proffer any specific charge against the four juvenile persons suspected to have gang-raped a young lady at Bantama in Kumasi nearly a month ago. 

This has become so as a result of perceived difficulties the Police are finding in establishing the real ages of both the suspects and victim in the matter coupled with the fact that certain aspects of the alleged sexual molestation in the video that went viral on social media and received outright public condemnation are not very clear. 

A staff of the Legal Aid Scheme, John Boamah, made these known to Radio Ghana’s Correspondent Akosua Frema Frempong in Kumasi.

Barely a month ago, a video of about seven persons allegedly sexually molesting a young female went viral on social media following which four of the suspects were swiftly arrested by the Sofo-Line Police in Kumasi with the help of the Chairman of the Bantama Unit Committee. 

The suspects made their first appearance at the Asokwa District Court on December 19, 2017 and have since been on remand in the Police Juvenile Cells at Nyankyerenease. 

In an interview, a legal practitioner with the Legal Aid Scheme, John Boamah, noted that in cases relating to sexual offences, the issue of age is a critical element hence the burden on the Prosecutor to establish the real ages of the suspects and the victim to facilitate the trial.  

It is against this back drop that the Asokwa District Court has ordered the schools of the victim and suspects to produce records of the true ages of the children for the trial to start.  

Mr. Boamah said the Police are expected to proffer specific criminal charges against the four suspects at the next adjourned date of 10th January if they are able to determine the ages of the parties in the case to allow for the actual trial to begin. 

Mr. Boamah explained that the suspects have been remanded for their own safety. 

He said this case will be a summary trial which might not take too much time depending on whether or not the accused will plead guilty to the charges to be preferred against them by the Prosecutor. 

According to him, the statutory requirement is that juveniles should not be remanded beyond three months unless the gravity of the offence is so serious that the sentence could be a death penalty on conviction. 

Similarly, the trial should be within six months from the date of the first Court appearance. Beyond this period, the Court is obliged to discharge the suspects. 

Mr. Boamah entreated the media to desist from sensationalizing and trying the case or contradict themselves with some of the essential elements for the trial of the matter since it involves minors.


GBCONLINE
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