Crime & Punishment of Sunday, 2 December 2012

Source: GNA

Housemistress in court for harming student

A Cape Coast Circuit Court at the weekend granted Wilhelmina Sam, a housemistress of Ghana National College, a bail of GH?5000.00 for allegedly causing harm to a student of the college.

She pleaded not guilty and would appear before court on Friday December 14.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Christiana Sampong told the court, presided over by Mrs Florence Kai Otu that at about 2230 hours on July 17, the accused was on her normal routine to ensure that students observed the light out when she met a second year student in the company of her two friends.

She said Wilhelmina questioned the three students why they were loitering after lights out but the answer they gave did not go down well with her.

She rebuked the victim and referred to her as a bad girl who have no respect and started pulling her hair and remarked that it was bushy.

The Prosecutor said Wilhelmina then ordered the house prefect and another girl who were also at the scene to shave the victim’s hair.

The victim pleaded with the housemistress to allow her to visit a barbering shop the next morning to have it done but the housemistress ignored her plea and insisted that her hair should be shaved.

Inspt Sampong said after the shaving, Wilhelmina who was not satisfied insisted that the hair should be cut down completely and the process the victim sustained a deep cut on the head. She said the housemistress collected the pieces of hair and left and the next morning took the victim to her residence outside the school compound to engage a barber to give her another hair cut.

Inspt Sampong said Wilhelmina again collected the pieces of hair and kept it in her hand bag.

The Prosecution said the victim pleaded with the accused to give her the shaved hair but she refused and so called to inform her parents about her ordeal who reported the matter to the police.