Victim of Brutal Ofankor Domestic Abuse Lists Police Stations That Allegedly Ignored Her Reports
- The victim of domestic violence at Ofankor, who went viral, Harriet Amuzu, has come out to share her story
- Her abusive husband, John Odartey Lamptey, was arrested on November 17 after a video of him beating his wife went viral
- Amuzu and a relative listed some police stations that ostensibly offered no help when she reported her husband to them
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The 32‑year‑old domestic‑violence victim from Ofankor who went viral has come out to the public about her ordeal, saying her life was under threat from her abusive husband.
More worrying was her account about visits to police stations, which she said ignored her reports and cries for help.
Source: Getty Images
The victim, Harriet Amuzu, told TV3 that state agencies failed to intervene when she reported her husband, John Odartey Lamptey, to the police.
“I went to the Tesano Police Station so many times, they didn’t mind me. I went to the Ofankor Barrier Police Station so many times. They didn’t mind me."
Atta Kwasi, her brother-in-law, also said they told the police about the abuse, but did not get any response. He also singled out the police stations at Tesano and Ofankor Barrier.
TV3 reported that she decided to disclose her identity and tell her story to empower other victims to take a stand and speak out against domestic violence.
Before the incident that went viral, Amuzu said she had been separated from her husband.
She left for her hometown, leaving their children in the care of Lamptey because he refused to allow them to go with her.
The events leading to the assault began when he contacted her with an urgent claim that one of their children was seriously ill.
She rushed back to her husband’s house to check on her child, but discovered that the child was fine and she had been lured, culminating in the abuse that went viral.
In a comment to YEN.com.gh, a lawyer, Amanda Clinton, noted that people can and do sue the police for negligence in cases where a report was properly lodged, evidence exists of imminent harm, and the police failed to act within a reasonable time, leading to further injury or preventable harm.
"There have been cases brought against the Ghana Police Service for failure of duty, especially where the complainant followed all procedures and the authorities blatantly ignored their responsibility."
How did the Gender Ministry react?
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection condemned the incident in a statement after it went viral.
The ministry called the abusive husband barbaric and also said it was engaging the police on the matter.
“We reaffirm our commitment to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders in ensuring that perpetrators of domestic violence face the full rigours of the law."
Source: Getty Images
Lamptey was arrested on November 17 at his home following widespread public outrage over the assault.
The Police further disclosed that two of Lamptey’s siblings, Grace Kushie Lamptey and Louis Odartey Lamptey, were also arrested after allegedly attempting to attack a female tenant they suspected of recording and sharing the viral footage.
Soldier in viral video assaulting woman arrested
In October, YEN.com.gh reported that the Military police arrested a soldier under similar circumstances.
He was caught on video attacking a pharmacy attendant and a woman who tried to film the incident at Burma Camp.
The detained soldier was identified as Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Mensah Williams of the Ghana Air Force.
In the viral incident captured on CCTV, the soldier was seen in a verbal altercation with the pharmacy attendant that escalated into the assault.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
