General News of Thursday, 29 April 2004

Source: GNA

13-year-old girl jailed one year for stealing

Kade, April 29, GNA- The fate of a 13-year-old girl from Kade in the Kwaebibirem district, who has been sentenced to one year prison term, is hanging in the balance as prison authorities have refused to accept her at the Nsawam Prisons because she is a minor.

In January, this year, the Asamankese Magistrate's Court sentenced the girl to a one-year imprisonment term in hard labour for stealing 4.9 million cedis belonging to one Madam Yaa Yaachica, a trader at Kade. She was to serve her jail sentence at the Nsawam Security Prisons but when she was taken there, the authorities refused to take her because of her age.

As a result, the police took her back to Kade where she was detained in Police cells for some time.

She was sent to the Asamankese Magistrate's court where the judge ordered that she should be taken to the Koforidua Juvenile court. According to her mother, Madam Patience Oppong, her daughter was still in police cells at Kade.

When GNA contacted the Kade police, they explained that they have no immediate means of transport to convey her and that they were making efforts to get her to the Koforidua Juvenile court.