Human Rights lawyer, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, has indicated that there are some inconsistencies with how the Police is handling the case regarding the kidnap of the 28-year-old Takoradi woman, Josephine Panyin Mensah. She noted this follows contradictions in the narrative put out by witness, victim and that of the Police.
She also accused the Police of unprofessionalism regarding how they handled the news about the 28-year-old woman who was found a few days after reportedly going missing.
“It is very disappointing that the Police had not acted professionally. They still have the bruises of the Takoradi girls’ issues and they are trying to show that they are working on this.
“Panyin was found disoriented by a carpenter on the grounds of the Jehovah Witness in Axim. I have listened to the account of the carpenter and he is saying she wrote the number of a pastor on a piece of paper;and then he called the pastor and then also called the family. And then he was the one who called the Police and got the Police to come over. So, there are some contradictions.”
Nana Oye Bampoe
Victims legal and psychological assistance
The former Minister for Gender,;Children and Social Protection also questioned if the victim has been given legal assistance with the ongoing case. She also questioned if the victim has received psychological help after she was found.
“For me, the most important and critical issue is Panyin Mensah,;has she been given legal assistance. Was she informed of her right to remain silent? Under what circumstances was her confession procured? Who were the professionals there? Has she received psychiatric help? Has she received help from psychologist? What is the composition of the team dealing with this case? Because there are mental issues, psychological issues and then there are also criminal issues.”
Nana Oye Bampoe
Assess victim’s mental health
Also speaking during the discussion, security analyst, Mr Adib Saani,called for an assessment of the mental health of the 28-year-old Takoradi woman, Josephine Panyin Mensah. He said there is the need to be concerned about her mental health because it might cause her to mislead the Police.
“Assess the victim’s mental capacity. We should also be concerned about the mental status. She might be incoherent, she might mislead the Police.”
Adib Saani
Earlier official complaints lodged by Panyin Mensah’s husband at the police station on Friday, September 17, 2021 indicated that she was heavily pregnant and had been kidnapped. But after being found at Tolanu, a suburb of Axim, exactly five days later, she was without her supposed nine-month pregnancy. This heightened fears about her alleged kidnappers in the Western Region.
The Ghana Police Service later announced that Panyin Mensah has pleaded not to be prosecuted after confessing she was not pregnant and not kidnapped.
The Police in a statement said the suspect confessed to the Police during further investigations and stated that neither was she pregnant nor ever being kidnapped. The Police has indicated that the public will be updated with further details.
