Dr Osei Owusu-Afriyie, a pathologist at the Ghana Police Hospital and an Assistant Commissioner of Police, provided evidence in court stating that Ishmael Mensah Abdullah, a 10-year-old boy who was murdered in Kasoa in a suspected money ritual, was intentionally buried while he was still alive.
The pathologist confirmed that the victim’s cause of death was a significant head injury caused by a blunt force. Additionally, it was determined that the victim was still alive at the time of burial.
Dr. testifies as the seventh witness for the prosecution. Osei Owusu-Afriyie notified the Accra High Court, led by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, that the reason behind the death was “the inability to breathe” or asphyxiation. He stated that when a person is unable to breathe after a blunt head injury, their body turns “blue” and their lungs become overinflated due to the premature burial phenomenon.
Abdullah was reportedly considered their acquaintance. Two minors, a 15-year-old individual and an 18-year-old individual who has committed a crime, have been accused of causing the death of someone. The court, although the 15-year-old confessed to his guilt during the plea negotiations, entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf because the law mandates that the jury must make a decision after a complete trial.
Nevertheless, the 18-year-old had consistently denied the allegations of conspiring to kill the 15-year-old.