Evelyn Boakye, the victim at the centre of the Mawarko saga, could have killed herself but for the intervention of her relatives, a specialist at the Psychiatric Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Albert Sedohia, has said.
“She could possibly have killed herself easily… People are complaining that she is pushing someone to jail or pay compensation, so she is feeling very guilty. She is blaming herself, so she could have possibly committed suicide if her brother and other relatives were not keeping a close eye on her,” the doctor said on Friday, March 17.
Ms Boakye alleged that her supervisor at the Abelenkpe branch of Marwako restaurant, Jihad Chaaban, allegedly dipped her face in pepper paste and locked her up for several hours for working slowly and fidgeting with a blender.
The victim reported the case to the police who arrested Mr Chaaban, interrogated him, and later granted him bail. He was subsequently charged with assault on Tuesday 7 March.
The incident has been widely condemned by Ghanaians on social media, leading to a call for a total boycott of Marwako.
Management of the restaurant have condemned the actions of Mr Chaaban and subsequently suspended him.
The case is before the court but counsel for the victim, Francis-Xavier Sosu disclosed to Accra News on Thursday 16 March that her client was undergoing treatment for psychological challenges.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), we went to the Department of Psychiatry at Korle Bu where she was treated. Today (Thursday) she was admitted and is receiving treatment at Korle Bu. We are praying that she returns to full health so that the matter does not further wear her down,” he said in an interview Nana Ama Agyarko.
Explaining further, Dr Sedohia said: “When the psychologist was informed about the case, he did not know it was severe, so the psychologist assessed her yesterday (Thursday), and realised that it was just beyond physiological intervention, so she was referred for psychological evaluation. I realised that she was severely traumatised and she is currently not stable, and that warranted us to admit and put her on medication.
“I am just coming from the ward to see her. She is responding to treatment. She is responding to treatment gradually. It is going to take some time but she will come out of it,” Dr Sedohia assured after speaking in an interview with Citi FM.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
