The Gbese District Court on Tuesday remanded a 40-year-old acrobat, Henry Amartey, into police custody for allegedly causing the death of his seven-year-old daughter following repeated assaults.
Amartey has been charged with murder after he allegedly subjected the child to frequent beatings over bedwetting, leading to fatal injuries.
According to the prosecution, on November 1, 2024, Amartey allegedly assaulted the child until she became unconscious and left her unattended before absconding. The victim was later rushed to a hospital but died on January 12, 2025. Her body was deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The court, presided over by a relieving judge, Mrs Bernice Ackon, did not take Amartey’s plea and granted a request by the prosecution to remand him into police custody. He is expected to reappear before the court on February 26, 2026.
Leading the prosecution, Inspector Richard Ackumey told the court that a duplicate docket had been forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice. He prayed the court to remand the accused to enable investigations to continue.
Mrs Ackon granted the request and directed the prosecution to expedite processes to ensure a speedy trial.
Defence Counsel, Mr Doe Kwabena Azaho, prayed the court to grant bail to his client and also urged for an expedited trial.
The prosecution explained that the complainant, Olivia Aryee, a trader residing at Korle Gonno, was a former girlfriend of the accused and the mother of the deceased child, Stella Amartey. After their relationship ended, Amartey allegedly took the child to live with him and his new girlfriend, identified only as Kailey, at Chorkor, near the seashore.
The prosecution said the child, who was a bedwetter, was subjected to frequent beatings by the accused. On the day of the incident, Amartey allegedly assaulted her until she lost consciousness and left the scene.
A neighbour, Helen Quaye, later discovered the unconscious child and raised an alarm, leading to the victim being rushed to the Irene Jones Nelson Memorial Clinic at Chorkor. She later died from her injuries.
A post-mortem examination conducted on January 17, 2025, by Dr Blankson Aboagye, a pathologist, revealed that the cause of death was raised intracranial pressure, left subdural haemorrhage and blunt head injury due to assault.
Amartey was arrested on December 24, 2025, after several months on the run.
