Benita Dankwa, the eight-month pregnant lady who was allegedly shot by her husband, is certain her better half perpetrated the act as a result of he not having the desire to father a child.
“I wished to have children however he stated he didn’t need children before and during the course of the wedding,” she stated in her proof to an Accra High Court.
Virtually 4 years after the incident that has left her paralysed for all times and in a wheelchair, Mrs Dankwa stated her husband appeared to care much less about her being pregnant.
Led in proof by a State Lawyer, Mrs Dankwa informed the courtroom her husband in all probability tried to kill her as a result of he was sad about her pregnancy.
She noted that Effort Dankwa was not too excited as most males could be on listening to information of her being pregnant, he merely smiled.”
The 33-year-old lady survived a mysterious shooting whereas she was eight months pregnant. There was no signal of pressured entry into their home and her husband was within the room.
As luck would have it, she didn’t die however the assault left her paralysed and incapable of passing urine or faecal matter the normal way.
Her child was also delivered prematurely through caesarean section. The traumatic incident left her bed-ridden for years.
Not long after the incident, her husband was picked up in a story that investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni broke.
Effort Dankwa, then 36, was arrested in 2016 after police investigations recognized him as the prime suspect in an assault on his spouse.
He was, nonetheless, granted bail by a Tema High Court on January 26, 2016. The bail bond is GHc 20,000 with two sureties, one to be justified.
Virtually 4 years later, the case continues to be within the courtroom presided over by Justice Mary M.E. Nsenkyire, because the wheel of justice grinds slowly.
Throughout her cross-examination on the Accra High Court on Tuesday, Mrs Dankwa recounted discussions they’d about having kids prior and throughout the marriage.
Counsel for the accused, James Anum (J.A), took his turn to cross-examine Benita Dankwa (B.D).
Here are excerpts of the exchanges
J.A: Why she did not do anything about the discussions about having children.
B.D: I didn’t take it seriously then, I took it as just one of his sayings.
J.A: Did you discuss it with your family members?
B.D: No, I didn’t.
J.A: I understand you had a good relationship with the accused brother, Francis Dankwa?
B.D: I won’t say good.
J.A: And the mother?
B.D: Yes, l had a good relationship with her.
J.A: If he had said it several times that he didn’t want children, you would have taken it seriously and informed somebody.
B.D: He’s never wanted us to take our issues to a third person and when we had the conversation, I didn’t take it seriously…so l wasn’t bothered that he didn’t want to have children.
J.A: Did he ever go with you to the hospital?
B.D: He only went with me once, but even that it happened because he was forced to by one of the midwives at the Tema General Hospital. Even after that, he left me there to continue whatever he was doing.
J.A: Your husband has never used a condom?
B.D: Yes
B.A: He’s never practiced coitus interruptus?
Laughter in the court
Judge: Some of us don’t understand coitus interruptus
J.A: Withdrawal
B.A: No, please.
J.A: Your husband has never used any family planning methods?
B.A: None that we agreed on.
The case has been adjourned to June 3, 2020.
