A 35 year-old nursing mother, Ama Tutuwaa, has appeared before a magistrate court in Sunyani for allegedly hitting her eight year-old step daughter with a chair. Madam Tutuwaa pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault, causing harm, inhuman and degrading treatment and was granted bail in the sum of GH(2,000 (20 million cedis) to reappear on July 30 this year. Prosecuting, ASP Kwaku Amoako told the court, presided over by Mr. Albert Zoogah, that the little girl has lived with her father and the stepmother for the past seven months. The prosecutor said the girl had not had peace ever since she joined the stepmother in her father's home. The court heard that Tutuwaa had many a time accused the girl of being a witch, especially anytime there was a quarrel between her and the husband. ASP Amoako said after one such quarrel leading to the husband briefly leaving the house, Tutuwaa turned her anger on the girl and beat her severely amid threats to end the little girl's life. Tutuwaa scratched the face of the girl with her fingernails, leaving cuts on the face, drawing the attention of a witness in the case who invited the police to rescue the girl, he added. The prosecutor said the police invited the accused and while investigations were going on, two Roman Catholic Sisters from Saint Mary's called at the police station with the girl, who had bloodstains on the head, and reported that Tutuwaa had hit her head with a chair. ASP Amoako said the girl was issued with a medical form to attend hospital and the accused was arrested. He said the girl had since been in the custody of the Catholic Sisters. The judge stated that the condition of the girl merited the incarceration of the accused but for the fact that she was nursing an eight month-old child. He ordered that the girl should continue to stay with the Catholic Sister until the order was reviewed. Source: GNA