DOCTOR FIGHTS JUDGE •Over Rape Case

A BIZZARE rape case before the Agona Swedru Circuit Court in which the son of a police officer sexually assaulted a two-year-old girl has taken another twist, compelling the complainant to petition the Chief Justice.

The 20-year-old Junior High School (JHS) student at Gomoa Ekwamkrom near Agona in the Central region, who had carnal knowledge of the niece of Dr Edmund Ekow Kaitoo, West Akim District Director of Health Services, and pleaded guilty in court, is still walking the streets of the town after a year's legal battle.

Richard Odoom, the culprit, on November 8, 2006, lured the girl, who lives next door, into his room after everyone had gone to church and forcibly had sex with her through the anus, damaging it.

After the act, Odoom left the girl, who was bleeding profusely, in front of her house.

Dr Kaitoo, who is seeking justice at the court, told DAILY GUIDE at Asamankese that the culprit absconded after the matter was reported to the Swedru Police.

“My niece was in terrible pain. Her anus was completely torn into shreds with blood all over her body and faeces freely coming down her ruptured anus because her anus was too loose to hold her faecal matter.

“She was brought to me here at Asamankese and upon examination, I realised the matter was so serious that I referred her to a specialist friend at Koforidua who also said the matter was beyond him so eventually she was sent to Korle-Bu for treatment,” he narrated.

According to Dr Kaitoo, two months after the incident, the parents of the boy resurfaced and said they had acknowledged the crime committed by their son and wanted to pay compensation and the hospital expenses of the girl.

Dr Kaitoo said they intentionally agreed to the proposal because they wanted to use that as a bait to arrest the boy, who had gone into hiding after committing the crime.

He said when the parents together with another arbitrator came with ¢7 million as part payment of the agreed ¢20 million compensation and ¢10 million for hospital expenses, they were arrested and sent to the police station for them to produce their son before being released.

He said after the arrest of the parents, the son was immediately produced and he was arraigned before court.

Dr Kaitoo said when Odoom appeared before His Lordship Adjei Wilson, he confessed to committing the crime and pleaded guilty.

“On the first day in court, Judge Wilson was very mad at Odoom for being that cruel to the little girl and said he would have sentenced him straight to jail if his docket was ready,” he said.

According to Dr Kaitoo, along the line, the prosecuting officer realized that the father of the culprit was a police inspector at the Airport police station and allegedly started dragging the case.

He said at the next appearance, Odoom was not brought to court and when he questioned the prosecutor, the explanation he gave was that he did not know that the boy was absent.

Dr Kaitoo alleged that as the case progressed, the judge started siding with the culprit and told him that the boy pleaded guilty under duress so he should be represented by legal counsel.

“When the boy was represented by a lawyer in court, the lawyer also told the court that the boy was mentally deranged and that was why he committed that offence.

The judge readily bought that and asked that the boy be sent to the psychiatric hospital for a check-up on his mental health.

“The same judge, who was fuming that the boy had committed a heinous crime and was ready to sentence him to prison on his own plea if not for the delay of the docket, is now saying that the boy is probably mad,” he said.

According to him, as far as he was concerned, Odoom was not a mad person and could answer any question posed to him.

“If he were to be a mad person, how could he be attending school and the teachers would not know?” Dr. Kaitoo asked.

He said he strongly suspects that the family of Odoom influenced the judge to set him free with that excuse.

“I am mad at the turn of events at the court so I want the Chief Justice to ensure that justice is done,” he declared.

Dr Kaitoo told DAILY GUIDE he was very surprised at the behaviour of some police officers, lawyers and judges.

“No wonder that people are now going in for instant justice because they see the courts as a waste of time and the high possibility that they would also not get justice at the courts even though they may have a genuine case,” he stated.

From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Asamankese