Doctors at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are working round the clock to save the life of a three-year-old girl who was defiled by a 25-year-old galamsey operator at Daboase in the Western Region.

As a result of the attack, the girl has already undergone three major surgeries to repair the severe damage caused to her sexual organ.

According to the Head of the Child Protection Centre of the Health Department of Korle-Bu,

Dr Ebenezer Badoe, the victim’s sex organ was completely destroyed, making it impossible for her to pass stool or urine the normal way.

The perpetrator, Eric Duku has been jailed 25 years with hard labour.

The incident happened at Daboase at the beginning of this year and the girl was taken to the Daboase Health Centre. But when the health personnel there assessed the situation, she was quickly referred to the Effia Nkwanta Hospital where she was admitted.

Referral to Korle-Bu

Dr Badoe said after careful examination, the doctors at Effia Nkwanta concluded that the extent of the damage was very severe and she was referred to Korle-Bu, where she had already undergone three surgeries and was still struggling to survive.

He said it was amazing how she was progressing with her treatment, adding, “Although she still eases herself through an opening on her stomach, she is still hanging in there.”

Victim’s mother

According to the 22-year-old mother of the victim, on that fateful day, she had gone to bed in the evening with her daughter lying beside her.

She said she was jolted up by her daughter’s screams around 1 a.m. and when she stretched her hand towards the girl’s direction, she realised that she was not lying by her side but the screams were coming from outside.

Thinking that the child might be sleep-walking, she said she rushed out, only to see her lying in front of the house soaked in blood, with her face swollen.

Man spotted

She started screaming and that attracted neighbours to the scene who spotted a man who lives around the area fleeing from the scene.

The mother of the victim, who is an apprentice seamstress, said the neighbours gave the suspect a chase and when he was apprehended blood was found on his body. He was then handed over to the police, who after investigations, put him before court.