The Central Regional Police Command says efforts are underway to arrest a ritualist, Kweku Baah, who buried a two-year-old boy with special needs alive in Dutch-Komenda.
The police has subsequently arrested the parents of the boy together with the grandfather, aged 70 years, who are suspected to have conspired with the ritualist to commit the crime.
According to the Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Central Regional Police Command, Inspector Evans Ettie, preliminary investigations revealed that due to the impairment of the boy, the parents consulted a spiritualist to get rid of the child.
“The Elmina District Police Command received a call that a male child of about 2 years suspected to be a child with special needs has been buried alive at the shores of Dutch-Komenda, on receipt of the report, the police proceeded to the crime scene.”
“With the help of Hon. Cosmos Bassaw, the Assembly Member of the electoral area, and the youth helped to rescue the boy.”
“Initial investigations gathered were that, due to the impairment of the boy, the parents consulted a ritualist at Dutch-Komenda to get rid of the child.”
“The parents of the boy; Mother, 29, father, 37, and grandfather 70, have been arrested and in police custody.”
He said the boy, who survived, was sent to the Kissi Health Center, where he was treated and discharged.
However, efforts are underway to arrest the ritualist who is on a run.
The Inspector advised parents with children with special needs not to neglect them or think of getting rid of them, since they can rely on the social welfare services for support.
“The Police would want to use this opportunity to advise parents who have children with special needs that there are public institutions like the Social Welfare and others who can help cater for children as such than to seek help from ritualists.”
