The Nkwatia Presby Senior High School (SHS) female student who was allegedly left partially blind after being assaulted by an assistant headmaster of the school has narrated her ordeal.
According to the victim, Diana Mensah, after she was assaulted by the assistant headmaster, she reported the incident to her house mistress, who only gave her painkillers, asaaseradio.com reports.
She added that she reported the incident to the Ghana Police Service after her relation advised her to do that.
Diana Mensah indicated that the accused person went into hiding when she was accompanied by the police to arrest him.
“I went to my house mistress to report the incident, after the assistant headmaster slapped me. But she only gave me paracetamol and asked me to report back after assembly the next day. So, the following day, I went back and told her I had a sleepless night but she gave me paracetamol again.
“There wasn’t any improvement in my condition, so I had to call my uncle and he asked me to report to the police. When I reported to the police, they assigned an officer to accompany me to the school, but the assistant headmaster was not around, immediately the police left, he also came back,” she is quoted to have said on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (August 29, 2023).
The student also said that she was scolded by the headmistress of the school for reporting the incident to the police.
“My house mistress subsequently called me that the headmistress wanted to see me. When I got there, she asked me the ages of my parents, and further asked me whether I could arrest my father if he scolds me, saying that what I did was not right,” Mensah said.
She stated that she is recovering from the assault, adding that she is still having sleepless nights after the incident.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has suspended the assistant headmaster pending further investigation into the matter.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 28, 2023, the service condemned the attack on the student.
It added that the student is being provided with the necessary medical attention and counselling.
“The GES unequivocally condemns the actions of the assistant headmaster who is supposed to ensure that students and teachers operate in a safe school environment. The Eastern Regional Director of Education is liaising with the school authorities and the relevant law enforcement agency to investigate the matter.
“Meanwhile, the assistant headmaster has been relieved of his duties and the student is receiving medical care and counselling,” the GES statement reads.
Background:
A video emerged online of a young woman believed to be a student of the Nkwatia Presby Senior High School, who was allegedly slapped and beaten by her headmaster.
This has left the young lady partially blind, online accounts have indicated.
According to a tweet shared by SIKAOFFICIAL on Twitter, the lady, named only as Diana, was assaulted after her headmaster in charge of academics, refused to hear her out when she tried to explain that she had permission to leave campus.
The tweet also explained that with this, the headmaster (unnamed) asked the student to kneel until she (the student) started complaining that she was not feeling well.
In response, the headmaster is said to have threatened her with more punitive measures, leading to what prompted him (the headmaster) to physically assault her.
In one of the photos shared along with the images of Diana, it showed a snipped comment of someone who narrated another side of the matter.
In the post, the Facebook user claimed that her sister is also a student at the Nkwatia Presby Senior High School and that the maltreatment did not only end there with the headmaster.
She claimed that her sister (who is also a student), told her that Diana (the student who was allegedly assaulted) was further maltreated by some teachers in the school.
Video the posts and video on the assault below:
A second year student of the Nkwatia Presby Senior High School goes partially blind after allegedly being slapped by the Headmaster of Academics for leaving campus without an exeat.
According to reports, the student identified as Diana, actually had permission to leave campus… pic.twitter.com/Ia7MCf2kmB
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The victim, Diana Mensah