Clara Yanyi-Ampah, a 56-year-old professional nurse who worked as a caregiver at Happy Bloomers School in Agbogba, has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of an 11-month-old baby.
Yanyi-Ampah entered into plea negotiations with the Attorney-General’s office, agreeing to a manslaughter charge. The prosecution and defense recommended a five-year sentence, which the court accepted.
During the sentencing, the court, presided over by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, confirmed the agreement with both the prosecution and defense attorneys present. Yanyi-Ampah had originally pleaded not guilty but changed her plea after the discussions.
In her ruling, Justice Simmons stated, “Based on the guilty plea for manslaughter, the accused is convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.” The judge noted that Yanyi-Ampah had spent eight months in custody before being granted bail and acknowledged the benefits of the plea deal, which simplified the trial process.
The court found that while the accused had no prior criminal record and appeared remorseful, her neglectful actions were serious. It was determined that she had shown a reckless disregard for the baby’s life, leading to the sentence.
Background of the Case
The case involved the parents of the baby, Randy and Patricia Ackah-Mensah, who enrolled their daughter, Allegra Camille Yaba Ackah-Mensah, at Happy Bloomers School on April 6. On May 18, 2021, Allegra, who was in good health, attended school.
At around 2:50 PM, a teacher named Madam Gladys Osei noticed that Allegra was unresponsive while Yanyi-Ampah was changing her clothes. When asked if the baby was asleep, Yanyi-Ampah said no. Gladys quickly alerted the school administrator, who took Allegra to North Legon Hospital.
Randy, Allegra’s father, received a call about his daughter’s condition and rushed to the hospital with his wife. Unfortunately, medical staff found that Allegra had no heartbeat or pulse, and attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. She was pronounced clinically dead.
Before the incident, Yanyi-Ampah had fed Allegra, and CCTV footage later revealed that she had used a cup to force-feed the baby, which went against the school’s policy of feeding toddlers with spoons. The school confirmed that the cup used belonged to Yanyi-Ampah.
A post-mortem report showed that Allegra’s trachea and lungs were filled with food particles. The pathologist determined that her cause of death was asphyxiation due to forced feeding.
Yanyi-Ampah was charged with manslaughter under the Criminal Offences Act and brought before the High Court in Accra for trial.
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