A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to 12 months in prison at the Senior Correctional Centre after being found guilty of conspiring with another teenager to murder a 10-year-old boy in Kasoa for alleged money ritual.
The tragic incident occurred on April 3, 2021, when the juvenile and his accomplice lured the young boy, Ishmael, into an uncompleted building under the pretense of playing a game. Once there, the second accused struck Ishmael on the back of the neck with a pickaxe club, causing him to fall unconscious. Despite pleading for his life and asking for forgiveness, Ishmael was then struck on the head with a cement block by the juvenile.
The two teenagers, who had consulted a spiritualist for a money ritual, were told by the spiritualist that they needed GH¢5,000 and a human sacrifice. The juvenile and his accomplice decided to use Ishmael for this ritual and buried him in a shallow grave after the brutal attack, intending to transport his body to the spiritualist.
In court, before receiving his sentence, the 15-year-old tearfully pleaded for forgiveness, stating, “It was not my intention to kill my dear friend and to end his life this way. I pray the court will forgive all my sins and give me a second chance.” He also asked for forgiveness from the deceased’s father. “I have played with Ishmael (deceased) for a very long time. I never planned to kill him. It was the devil,” he added.
Presiding Judge Bernice Mensimah Ackon acknowledged that the juvenile had already served three years and two months while on remand. As required by the Juvenile Justice Act, 2003 (ACT 653), the case was handled by the Juvenile Court for sentencing, and the court decided to sentence the 15-year-old to 12 months at a senior correctional centre. The court took into account the juvenile’s expressed intention to pursue a technical vocation, as he had dropped out of school after Basic 6.
This case comes after the High Court sentenced the 18-year-old accomplice, Nicholas Kini, to life imprisonment for his role in the crime.