The victim, Afia Sarpomaa, was brutally attacked by her daughter, Joyce Boateng, who accused her of using witchcraft to cause the family's misfortunes. This accusation reportedly stemmed from claims made by Boateng's pastor, who convinced her that her mother was behind their troubles.
Family head George Badu Gyan shared details with Kumasi based Akoma FM, stating that after the murder, Boateng attempted to take her own life. She was seen heading to the cemetery with blood-stained clothes and purchased a toxic substance from an agro-chemical shop. Fortunately, a community member intervened and prevented her from consuming the poison.
“The information I received is that she killed her mother at the time nobody was at home. So some people saw her going to the cemetery with her dress stained with blood. So they thought she wanted to kill herself. So on her way, she picked one drug from an agro-chemical shop and the opened it. One of my nephews kicked it from her hand because everyone thought she was attempting to kill herself."
Joyce Boateng was then taken to the police station, where she confessed to the crime. According to the family head , Joyce was influenced by two pastors who told her that her mother was a witch.
He emphasised that Boateng has no history of mental illness and has three daughters.
“They rushed her to the police station and when we followed up later, she said two pastors, a male and female, have told her the mother was a witch and that’s why she killed her. She doesn’t have any mental problem. She has three daughters,”
Isaac Badu Boateng, the Assembly Member for Asenemaso, accompanied the police to deposit the victim's body at the mortuary.
“I went to the police station after being informed of the incident about 6am. They said she drank poison so she had to be taken to the hospital. So went to the police to where she took in the medicine. We went to the cemetery and the police have now taken the body to the mortuary.
“A lady has killed her mother. She confessed to the crime when we went to the police station. The girl is 55 years,” he stated.
He criticised certain pastors for creating rifts within families by accusing individuals of witchcraft, leading to such tragic outcomes.
“Most women now appear to trust their pastors more than their husbands and relatives. According to this girl, it was a pastor who told her that her mother is a witch. You the media should educate some of the pastors because he polluted her mind to kill her mother,” he advised.
The suspect is currently in police custody, and the deceased has been transported to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the case.