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The Ashanti Region Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), has rescued a student girl, attending a Senior High Schools in Kumasi, from a forced marriage.

The victim is currently being housed at the Kinderhaus Kumasi Shelter – a private facility providing temporary lodging and safety for domestic violence victims.

Without the intervention, the victim’s education would have been truncated.

Meanwhile, the Kumasi Metropolitan Authority (KMA) Circuit Court where the victim’s father and the suitor are standing trial, has ordered school’s authorities to take care of her to enable her to continue her education.

The Court presided over by Mrs Mary Nsenkyire, has remanded into prison custody, Ibrahim Issah, the father who is a Kumasi-based trader and Saeed Tijani, a 30-year-old electrician, who is the suitor when they appeared before the Court.

They both pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to commit marriage under compulsion and would come back to the Court on December 5, 2019.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent Police (ASP) Felix Akowuah, told the Court that, on Wednesday, 0ctober 16, 2019, the police through an informant got to know that the said student, was being prepared for marriage by the father to Tijani.

He said the information was relayed to the Ashanti Regional Domestic Violence and on Support Unit (DOVVSU) and on Saturday 19th October 2019, a team of policemen led by Police Superintendent Mrs Susana Dery, the Regional Coordinator, moved to the house of Issah.

He said at the father’s house at Adukrom Akrofuom, a suburb of Kumasi the team found the victim has been confined to a room with tattoo designs on her, signifying initiation into Islamic marriage.

The Prosecution said the marriage ceremony was already on course as people were found cooking, singing and dancing but the team whisked off by the police to her present location for safety.

According to ASP Akowuah, the victim after her rescue confirmed that the arrangement was made by the father to be handed over to the ‘husband’ on the next day – Sunday, 20th October 2019.