Baby Thief In Court

THE Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) at Tema has arrested a 36-year-old trader from Bolgatanga and arraigned her before the Tema Circuit Court �A� for stealing a baby from its mother under the pretext of helping her with �30 to enable her travel back to Walewale. The court was presided over by Mrs. Lorinda Owusu. Martha Abangre, the accused, who is now in police custody, pleaded not guilty when she appeared in court. Police information indicated that this is the third time she has been arrested for child stealing. The accused person, according to police, lured the mother into believing that she could help her, upon realizing that she (baby�s mother) could not cater for the baby and needed money. The unemployed nursing mother, Daily Court learnt, lived at Adabraka with her husband but the house got burnt whilst the husband was away in Nigeria. She therefore moved to stay with a friend but was sacked and moved to Kantamanto until her delivery on April 4, 2011. Briefing the court, Chief Inspector Abraham Marteyfio said on May 5, 2011, the mother came across the accused person while shopping for her baby. The accused was said to have interrogated the baby�s mother and got to know all her problems and opted to help her out with money so that she could go back to Walewale where she comes from. Martha Abagre asked the baby�s mother to meet her the following day for assistance. The accused, according to the prosecutor, promised to give her an amount of �30 when she met the nursing mother and asked her to accompany her to Abeka for the money since she had only �20 on her. The prosecutor added that when the two arrived at Abeka, the accused could not get her the money and brought her to Tema. The mother, who did not have money and thought the accused genuinely wanted to help her, also followed her without any questions. He said on the way to Tema Community 1, the accused took the baby from her mother with the intention of helping her out. On arrival, the accused was said to have taken the mother and baby to a chop bar and ordered for food for her. The accused then excused herself to visit the washroom, taking the baby along but she never returned. The mother quickly made a report at the Tema DOVVSU. A message was sent to all police stations in the country and a report was made on radio stations as well. The accused was arrested on May 18, 2011 in Bolgatanga with the baby. She denied stealing the baby in her caution statement but was put before the court after investigations. She has been remanded.