Killers of 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah cannot be jailed for more than 5 years - Police
- The mother of the murdered 10-year-old describes him as "cool, calm, sociable"
- His death came as a shock to the community
- Mensah was murdered by two teenagers for rituals
- There have been calls for harsher punishment to be meted to the suspects
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The suspects in the gruesome ritual killing of 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah cannot be jailed for more than 5 years, the police said.
Felix Nyarko and Nicholas King believed to be 16 and 17 years respectively were arrested for the heartrending murder of Mensah.
The two reportedly lured and killed the 10-year-old for rituals in Kasoa in the Central Region on Saturday, April 3, 2021.
The Ofaakor District Magistrate Court remanded them into police custody to allow for more investigations into the matter.
There have been calls for harsher punishment to be meted out to the suspects if found culpable.
But the PRO of the Central Regional Police, Irene Oppong said the punishment for the suspects may not be as harsh as expected.
This is because there is no documentary evidence to prove whether their ages are 16 or 17.
Oppong in an interview with Kumasi-based Hello FM said efforts are underway to get their weighing cards or birth certificates.
“In case we do not get any of these, then the police investigator will have to take them to an expert to determine their ages,” she ended.
Going by the current ages of the suspects, they are juveniles and may not be sentenced to more than five years.
“In the case of a juvenile, the sentence can’t exceed five years. In some instances, they can be sentenced for only three years and that depends on the discretion of the judge,” she stated.
In the meantime, Sahadatu Abdallah, the mother of the horrifically murdered 10-year-old is demanding justice for her son.
Struggling to come to terms with her loss, the bereaved mother charged authorities to ensure that the killers of her son face the full rigours of the law.
Describing Mensah as “cool, calm, sociable and obedient,” Sahadatu told Accra-based Asaase Radio that her deceased son had a “cordially beautiful” relationship with his alleged killers.
How it all happened: Felix Nyarko reportedly sent for Mensah to be called for him per instructions from Nicholas.
Upon his arrival, Nyarko beckoned Mensah to escort him to have a look at something in an uncompleted building where Nicholas was waiting.
The report further indicated that Nicholas asked Felix to excuse them (he and Ishmael).
When he left the room, Nicholas reportedly took a piece of block and hit it right on the head of the 10-year-old boy causing him to pass out with immediate effect and he hit him again for the second time.
According to the report, when the police questioned the boys, they mentioned that they needed some parts of the 10-year-old boy to take to the Volta Region for money rituals.
The father of the murdered boy vowed to take the law into his own hands if proper justice is not served to the culprits of this crime.
In a report filed by 3news, the father, Frank Mensah Abdallah, called on the appropriate quarters to ensure that justice is served for his late son.
“I will take the law into my hands and seek justice for my late son if proper justice is not done,” Abdallah said.
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Source: YEN.com.gh