15-year-old suspect in Kasoa ritual killing sentenced to 12 months in prison

The convict, who was arrested in April 2021, will serve his sentence at the Senior Correctional Centre, as he turns 19 this year, according to a report by graphic.com.gh.

The court presided over by Judge Bernice Mensimah Ackon, explained that the convict had been on remand for three years and two months.

Under the Juvenile Justice Act 2003 (Act 653), this period had effectively fulfilled his three-year sentence.

However, the court took into account the gravity of the crime committed and the convict’s intention to pursue a technical vocation. As a result, it sentenced him to an additional 12 months at the Senior Correctional Centre, allowing him the opportunity to acquire vocational skills.

Before receiving his sentence, the convict, overwhelmed with emotions, pleaded for forgiveness from the court and the deceased’s family, asking for a chance to reflect on his actions.

“It was not my intention to kill my dear friend and to also end his life this way. I pray the court would forgive all my sins and give me a second chance.

“I have played with Ishmael (deceased) for a very long time. I never planned to kill him. It was the devil,” he said as reported by graphic.com.gh.

Background

The two teenagers were found guilty by a seven-member jury in a unanimous decision in October 2024 for the murder of 10-year-old Ishmael Abdullah.

The High Court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, sentenced the 18-year-old, Nicholas Kini, to life imprisonment.

The sentencing of the 15-year-old was deferred to the Juvenile Court in accordance with Section 18(1) of the Juvenile Justice Act 2003 (Act 653). This section mandates that where a juvenile is charged alongside an adult in a court of summary jurisdiction, the juvenile’s case must be remitted to the Juvenile Court for sentencing.

The 15-year-old had since been kept in police custody awaiting sentencing by the Juvenile Court.