The Assin Fosu Magistrate Court has imposed a fine of Gh¢4,800 each on a 40-year-old hairdresser, Charlotte Asiedu, and a 21-year-old auto electrician, Tetteh, for inducing a 17-year-old girl to commit an illegal abortion.
Asiedu, who administered a concoction to the girl, faced charges of committing an illegal abortion, while Tetteh, the victim’s boyfriend, was charged with abetment of crime.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges before the court presided over by Mr Abdul Majid Iliasu.
Prosecuting, Inspector Matilda Osaah Buabeng revealed that Victoria Arthur, a trader and the victim’s mother, filed the complaint. The victim, a Senior High School form three student, discovered she was 17 weeks pregnant while in school.
During her vacation, the victim informed Tetteh about her condition. He advised her to notify her mother, but out of fear, she refused. Instead, the girl requested Gh¢200 from Tetteh to buy some drugs at a pharmacy.
However, the pharmacist refused to sell the medicines, stating that the pregnancy had advanced.
Tetteh discussed the situation with a friend, who recommended Asiedu. She accepted the offer and prepared a Gh¢200 concoction for them.
After taking the concoction, the victim experienced severe stomach pains and was rushed to St Francis Xavier Hospital in Assin Fosu for treatment.
Examinations revealed that the fetus had died, leading to forced labor for the victim. The victim’s mother filed an official complaint with the police, resulting in the arrest and charging of the defendants.
The victim’s education has been disrupted to allow her to undergo two major surgeries for survival, as indicated by a medical report obtained by the Ghana News Agency.
