Trader remanded for allegedly assaulting 10-year-old daughter with cutlass

Assin Fosu District Court has remanded a 28-year-old trader, Monica Ampomah, into police custody for allegedly assaulting her 10-year-old daughter with a cutlass while questioning her over suspected sexual abuse.

The court, presided over by His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu, ordered Ampomah to remain in police custody for two weeks and reappear on September 3, 2026.

The court also directed that the accused undergo a mental health examination to determine her mental state and assess whether she is fit to stand trial.

According to the facts presented before the court, Ampomah had, for about two months, noticed a whitish discharge on her daughter’s underwear while washing them.

She allegedly became suspicious that the Class Five pupil was being sexually abused by an unknown person and believed the child was refusing to disclose what had happened.

The prosecution said that on July 21, 2026, at about 3 a.m., Ampomah woke the child and demanded that she identify the person responsible for the alleged abuse.

The child reportedly denied being sexually abused, but Ampomah was allegedly dissatisfied with the response and began beating her with a cane.

The prosecution further alleged that the accused later used a metal rod used to grip pots during the preparation of banku to assault the child while demanding that she reveal the truth.

Ampomah allegedly then picked up a cutlass and slashed the child on the head, hand and finger, causing deep injuries.

At about 4 a.m., she allegedly drove the injured child out of the room.

The child subsequently went to her school proprietress and narrated the incident. The proprietress then contacted Gilbert Takyi, a nurse at St Francis Xavier Hospital in Assin Fosu, who took the child to the hospital for treatment and reported the matter to the Central North Regional Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service.

Police issued a medical report form for the child to undergo examination and treatment. The completed report was subsequently endorsed and returned to the police.

Ampomah was later arrested, cautioned and charged with causing harm.

Prosecutor Inspector Matilda Osaah Buabeng presented the case before the court.

Following the proceedings, the court ordered Ampomah to undergo a mental health examination and remanded her in police custody until September 3, 2026, when she is expected to reappear.