Photos: 12-year-old girl allegedly subjected to severe torture by her father and step mother after a pastor accused her of being a witch

A 12-year-old girl in Asaba, Delta state has been rescued after being allegedly subjected to many years of hardship and neglect by her father and step mother.  Activisit, Harrison Gwamnishu who shared the story online, said a pastor had informed the girl’s father and step mother that she is a witch and is responsible for the mishaps they had been experiencing e. 

In an apparent attempt to kill her silently, the step mother allegedly and her father decided to lock her up in a room where she was given little food, and on some days, wasn’t given any food at all.

Read Gwamnishu’s account of the story below

STEP MOTHER AND FATHER MALTREATS AND ABUSES A 12 YEARS OLD DAUGHTER.

@Harrison Gwamnishu DG, Behind Bars Right Defenders(BBI) was tagged on a post at the early hours of yesterday about a case of small girl who was looking sick and unhealthy with a swollen leg yet was fetching water with it.

BBI Intervention team swarmed into action and investigated the case only to discovere that the girl was being maltreated mainly by her step mother.

According to the story, the young girls mother is late and the father had to marry another woman! (Fast forward) The pastor of the Church were the Step mother and the father attends told them that the little girl was possessed and that she is responsible for all their disappointments and misfortunes.

Because of the above reasons the young girl was maltreated! We notice physical SCARES and MARKS on the little girls body, what caught our attention mainly was the swollen leg the little girl had. On seeing the legs pulses have started gathering already and the girl can barely work with the legs.

And we asking the following questions:
i. Why allow the injuries on the girl’s leg to develop to such extent.
ii. Since you already know that the little girl is a witch, why not take her to someone who will take good care of her OR to the Appropriate Authorities, instead of Maltreating her.
iii. Why are the step mother’s children looking healthy because we saw them all last night.
iv. Even if the little girl is what they claim she is, was this the best approach to treat her?
v. Lastly, who are we to blame? Pastor, Step Mother or Father.

While interacting with the little girl, she wiped and said she which she could join her late mother!!! I almost cried, because for this small girl to say this, that means she must have been exposed to abject suffering, maltreatment and depression which if not properly checked could lead to committing SUICIDE.

We call on well meaning Nigerians and Appropriate Authorities to take this case as a sensitive one because this young girl deserves a better life, care and mostly love.

We currently filling a petition to Ministry of Women Affairs and National Human Right commission to come to the rescue of this little girl because we BBI believes she is not Safe living with the Step mother and Father.

Special thanks to the DPO, A Division, Asaba. For his interest on this particular case and other officers who we were together till almost 10:30pm last night, and to our Intervention team and again the person that brought this case, God bless us all