Woman Jailed 7 Years For Child Trafficking

The Berekum Circuit Court in the Brong Ahafo Region has convicted a 25-year-old trader, Abena Henewaa, of child trafficking and sentenced her to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

The trader from Agbogbloshie in Accra was found guilty of trafficking a 14-year-old girl from Senase in the Berekum municipality to her (trader’s) residence in Accra.

According to the prosecutor, Inspector Moses Afari Obiri, the victim’s father, Yaw Asomah, and the convict are both natives of Senase, a farming community in the Berekum municipality.

The victim lived with her mother in the Sefwi area of the Western Region but her father decided to take her to Senase to be enrolled in school.

Inspector Obiri said when school broke for holidays, Asomah decided that the victim should go and stay with her grandmother in the same town until school reopened.

He said the convict went to Senase and, after taking the girl as a companion, persuaded her to take her belongings and accompany her to Accra, without the permission of the girl’s relatives.

The grandma, who later saw the victim hiding with her luggage somewhere in the town, became suspicious that the girl was travelling without her knowledge and consent and consequently, seized the luggage but the girl escaped.

The woman then informed Asomah and together, they mounted a search for the girl in the town but could not trace her.

According to Inspector Obiri, the convict succeeded in sending the girl to Accra and engaged her to babysit for her.

Later, Henewaa gave the girl out to a man, Kwadwo Rasta, now at large, for sexual activity.

The prosecutor said the complainant later had information that her missing daughter was in Accra and engaged in sexual exploitation.

Eight months after, the complainant saw her and the convict roaming the streets of Senase and made a report to the police, who arrested the woman and charged her with the offence.