Caregiver arrested after allegedly cutting of 5-year-old girl with blade and applying pepper over ‘caregiving struggles'

Nii Ayitey Brown 14:07 - 23 May 2026

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5-year-old child with alledged blade wounds

Police in Bole have arrested a caregiver accused of injuring a 5-year-old girl in her care, with investigations underway into alleged child abuse in the Savannah Region.

A 35-year-old seamstress and nursing mother has been arrested in Bole for allegedly inflicting blade wounds on a five-year-old girl in her care.
The incident was discovered after a local Assembly Member found the injured child and alerted police and social welfare authorities.
The suspect claims the injuries were accidental, saying the child fell during a moment of frustration, while investigations are ongoing.

A 35-year-old nursing mother and seamstress has been arrested by the Bole District Police Command in the Savannah Region after allegedly inflicting injuries on a five-year-old girl placed in her care at Bole Mempeasem.

According to Crime Check, the suspect, identified as Marijana Alhassan, is accused of causing blade wounds and applying pepper on the child.

The case reportedly came to light on the evening of Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after the Assembly Member for the Mempeasem Electoral Area, Hassan Abu Peace Brother, found the injured child behind his residence.

According to him, the child appeared distressed and could only identify her mother as “mama,” prompting him to trace her guardians.

He said he later located the child’s family and intervened after being informed that the girl was frequently beaten. However, despite his warning to the caregiver to stop any form of abuse, he later received another alarming call the following morning.

“An old woman told me the woman will beat the child throughout the night because that’s what she usually does so I confronted the woman but she assured me she won’t beat her. Around 6:00am this morning, however, I received a call that she beat the child and even inflicted blade wounds on her before sending her to school,” he said.

The Assembly Member immediately rushed to the child’s school, where the matter was reported to authorities. The police and social welfare officers were subsequently alerted, leading to the arrest of the suspect.

At the Bole District Police Station, Marijana Alhassan denied intentionally inflicting blade wounds on the child. She explained that the girl is not her biological daughter but the child of her husband’s sister, who had left her in her care while she was on study leave.

She claimed the child was highly dependent and unable to perform basic tasks such as eating, dressing, or using the toilet without assistance, which she said placed significant strain on her as a caregiver.

According to her statement, the injuries occurred when she pushed the child away in frustration and the girl allegedly fell onto a mopping stick. She added that she later cleaned and dressed the child before sending her to school, where the injuries were discovered.

Police have since taken the child into protective care while investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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