A 41-year-old NADMO staff and caterer, Mariama Issah Sulemana, has been sentenced to four months’ imprisonment by the Techiman Circuit Court in the Bono East Region for abusing and causing harm to her 12-year-old stepdaughter.

The court found her guilty after she pleaded with explanation to charges of assaulting the JHS One pupil of Nkwaeso Methodist School in Techiman.

Prosecutors told the court that the incident came to light after the Techiman Municipal Girls’ Education Officer, Mrs Ellen White Opoku, reported the matter to the Divisional Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).

Police said the victim sustained injuries to her palm, face and body after she was allegedly beaten with a car key over accusations of stealing money belonging to the accused.

Mariama, who also works as a NADMO zonal coordinator, was initially granted police inquiry bail after her arrest on 24 May 2026 due to her having a young child.

She was later put before the court and convicted after the judge dismissed her explanation that her stepdaughter’s alleged behaviour had provoked her actions.

The court said the sentence was intended to serve as a deterrent, adding that he was not convinced the convict showed remorse.

The court also ordered that the two stepchildren of the convict be taken into the custody of their paternal family.

It further directed that her five biological children, including a one-and-a-half-month-old baby, be referred to the Family Tribunal to determine their care arrangements during her imprisonment.

A guidance and counselling coordinator for the Techiman Municipal Education Directorate, Nana Asantewaa Munufie, later told journalists that the ruling should serve as a warning to parents and guardians against child abuse.