Monrovia – Five years ago, Hannah Gbardea moved to her aunty – the younger sister of her dad – to get a better education in Monrovia, but it all has turned devastating as she now lies in a hospital with a burned buttock.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
According to nurses at James Davies hospital, Hannah told them that she was pushed in hot water by her aunty.
The perpetrator only identifies as T. girl, is currently behind bars.
Henry Paye, an eyewitness and neighbor T.girl, says for past years, the minor has been gravely maltreated by the suspect.
Paye recalled that on numerous occasions when Hannah was being cruelly beaten by her aunt, she was rescued by community residents.
“She wakes up 4 am to get water from the well. We know that she doesn’t treat the lay (little) girl well,” he explains.
According to Paye, the spouse of the perpetrator was questioned on the wellbeing of the child, but he contended that it was his family issue.
Paye recalled that after Hannah was pushed in the hot water, a tenant identified as Kebeh came to the kid’s rescue.
Kebeh had noticed that the minor was washing dishes as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Paye said his wife administered ointments to calm the pain and administered several other medications.
According to him, when he was informed, he immediately called the perpetrator but her response was she was busy and tired to see anybody.
“I thought on settling it community way, but when I sent for her, she refused so I invited the police, that is why she’s behind bars,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the police station T. Girl denied injuring Hannah and said she was lying on a bench close to the hot water when she sustained the injury.
“It is my 8-year-old daughter, who said she (minor) was beside the water and lying on the bench, my daughter only heard her crying, and that is how she burnt herself,” she said.
“The first thing I did was to use penicillin tablet on the sore because all the money I had was spent on my sister who is now dead.”
She denied instructing the minor to wash dishes, a statement that eyewitnesses also refuted.
T. Girl explained, “When I came, I met the dishes outside and I started packing it and talking (grumbling), I didn’t see the girl, she was with Kebeh”. She also denied that she was not the one who burnt the minor.
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