A police officer stationed at Agona Odoben in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District of the Central Region has allegedly assaulted a physically challenged man.
The assault, which nearly cost the victim’s sight, was perpetrated by an officer believed to be an inspector with the name Frederick.
Information gathered by Angel News correspondent, Kwame Owusu Asante was that the victim, Stephen Clinton, had a misunderstanding with a woman who sells drugs. She later reported the incident to the Agona Odoben Police.
The police, according to the physically challenged victim, invited him to the police station only for him to be beaten mercilessly by the police officer on duty.
Narrating his ordeal, 32-year-old Clinton said the police officer, with the help of a community police personnel at the station, hit him with the butt of a gun, iron rods and sticks.
“The [police] chief together with another officer handcuffed me and angrily kicked my legs from behind. Because I was unaware I fell on my face and hit the ground with my chest and my face.”
He continued that “while on the ground, he [officer Frederick] kept on stepping on me and kicking me while shouting that I am a stubborn boy. Afterwards he made me sit for about 5 hours while I was still handcuffed and bleeding.”
Stephen Clinton stated that his plea to be taken to the hospital was denied and subsequently complained of body pains; a situation he attributed to the assault.
While lamenting his predicament, he questioned if physically challenged persons are not protected under Ghanaian laws.
The Assembly Member for Agona Odoben Electoral Area, Samuel Essien, called for an investigation into the matter to seek justice for Clinton.
Mr. Essien, who doubles as the Chairman for the Disabled in the Agona Odoben Community expressed shock that “if a policeman can beat up a disabled like that then I shudder to think what would happen to the non-physically challenged. We can’t take the laws into our hands but we need to take him [Clinton] to the eye clinic for a scan. We can’t leave things like that because if anything happens to him tomorrow, it will burden the community.”
Some residents reported that the action of the police was wrong and unfair.
They explained that the woman who reported Stephen Clinton to the police attacked the victim and subsequently pushed his motor down.
They said, the victim was pleading with the police but they refused to released him and when they pleaded on his behalf their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, all efforts by the Angel News’ Kwame Owusu Asante Shadrack to get the police to comment about the issue proved futile.
