Governance Analyst and a lecturer at the Central University, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has registered his displeasure with the years that a murder suspect who is a minor or child should be sentenced to prison in Ghana.
The nation received shocking news on Saturday after the mortal remains of a young boy was found buried in an uncompleted building in Kasoa, Central Region.
Two teenagers aged sixteen and eighteen years allegedly killed a 11-year old boy at Kasoa and hid his body in the ground to later exhume for money ritual purposes.
The teenagers were arrested and arranged before the court which has remanded them into police custody.
However, before the court gives a ruling, there are calls for the teenagers to serve a strict sentence in prison.
Some people are even calling for a life imprisonment for the teenagers.
But according to law experts, the Criminal Offence Act permits minors or teenagers to serve a five-year term and can't go beyond the specified years.
Contributing to Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah questioned why children who commit felony must serve only five years in prison.
According to him, the laws must be reviewed because five years is too small.
"I heard a lawyer say that the maximum punishment that can be given to these children is not more than 5 years imprisonment...If this is so, then we have to tighten our laws," he said.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
| Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
