Parents of the 11-month-old girl who allegedly died at the hands of an abusive caregiver have urged the public and media to stop sharing the CCTV footage that captured circumstances leading to their baby’s death.
A statement from the family dated Sunday, May 30, has asked the public to respect their privacy and be measured in circulating and discussing the video as it is a constant reminder of what their daughter went through.
The parents described their daughter Allegra Yaba Ackah as an energetic and bubbly little girl. They said they looking forward to her first birthday in June.
“Losing her this way is a profoundly difficult and painful experience for us. We would have wished to mourn privately, but we will share accurate accounts of events when it becomes necessary,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the 54-year-old caregiver, Clara Anyani-Ampah, who forcibly fed little Allegra, leading to her death, has since been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.
The court is yet to take her plea, as the police informed the court that the docket of the caregiver had been forwarded to the office of the Attorney General for advice.
She is to reappear on June 11, 2021.
How Allegra died
The victim, little Allegra Yaba Ackah Mensah, was in a colourful and neatly decorated room with two other babies.
One of the babies was standing in a cradle, while the other was lying on the floor, unattended to, with little Allegra sitting on a stool.
The caregiver left the classroom, returning shortly with a cup and captured cleaning the floor with tissue.
She was later captured trying to force porridge into the victim’s mouth while holding the baby’s hands tightly at the back.
Clara pushed the baby’s head into the cup in an attempt to get the little girl to drink the porridge.
The helpless baby, who appeared to be suffocating, screamed and threw her legs into the air ferociously.
After a period, the school’s management called the father to inform him that his daughter was sick.
But Allegra was pronounced dead at the North Legon Hospital, where she had been rushed for medical attention.
The father reported the incident to the police, and a team was dispatched to the school, leading to the caregiver’s arrest.
Below is the statement
