“Mummy, oh Mummy I beg!” – Akuapem Poloo in tears as judge pronounces sentence

“Mummy, oh Mummy, please, I beg, oh, what am I going to do now?”

These were the last words of Rosemond Alade Brown, also known as Akuapem Poloo as a judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail for posting nude photos of herself and her son.

The court imprisoned her for three charges, including publication of obscene material.

All the pleas of Akuapem Poloo and her lawyers fell on deaf ears.

Akuapem Poloo knelt with one hand behind her and the other begging for mercy as the judge got up to exit the court.

But the wailing of the 31-year-old mother-of-one did not have any impact as the unshaken judge, Christiana Cann, walked gracefully to her chambers.

Ten minutes after the judge left, she sat still in the chair allocated to every accused person who comes to the Circuit Court 5.

She appeared to be in shock till the court clerks asked her to move from there.

She continued weeping as she engaged her lawyer Andrew Cudjoe Vortier on the next line of action available to them.

Her lawyer tried to console her and raise her hopes by saying the team would file for an appeal.

But nothing soothing could calm Akuapem Poloo.

“I feel alone, I feel alone,” she murmured.

Shortly, she was whisked away accompanied by police officers to start her new chapter in prison.

Judge’s ruling

Delivering her sentence, the Accra Circuit Court judge Christiana Cann said there was a need to give such punitive measures to deter people who are fond of posting such pictures online.

She also expressed concern about how the societal and moral values of the country have fallen, as result of such practice.

“The action of the accused did not only infringe on the rights of the child. It morally corrupted those who saw the post. It also caused the pride and dignity of the country as a whole.

“This court is saddened by the current development of the citizenry posting their nude pictures on the internet and wonder what has become of our values as a country.

“Our morality has degenerated to such bestial levels that the accused person could do what she did. The law will take its full course in this matter today so that others who harbour such traits would be deterred.

“There is no doubt that apart from the canker of rape, defilement, physical assault, the publication of obscene materials are on the increase.

“There is, therefore, the need to uphold our societal values and deal with this canker. The best interest of the child shall be the primary concern of the court,” the judge read.

She then asked two questions she said was critical to the case that the accused Akuapem Poloo failed to do.

Did she ask for the permission of the child before posting the said picture?

Did she respect the child’s right?

The answer to these two questions was a resounding “No”.

Judge Cann supported her ruling with a scripture, Colossians 3:25, which states, “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.”

She also said she considered the fact that the accused Akuapem Poloo was a first time offender and again a single parent.

Why Akuapem Poloo was dragged to court

The actress posted a picture of herself and her son on his seventh birthday. Rosemond was captured naked, kneeling before the toddler, who was only seen in underpants.

While many criticized the actress over the photo, others jumped to her defence.

The actress later rendered an apology.

Initially, she was granted bail in the sum of GH₵100,000 with four sureties, two to be justified.

The two sureties were ordered to provide proof of ownership of any landed property worth the bail sum.

Facts

The facts of the case are that the complainant Bright Appiah is the Director of Child Right’s International Ghana, whereas the accused person is an actress.

On June 30, 2020, the accused person celebrated her son Mohammed Mudair’s seventh birthday and took a nude photograph together with her son and posted the same on her Instagram page, which went viral.

The prosecution said the accused’s conduct or behaviour undermines privacy or is likely to detract the son’s dignity.

The complainant then petitioned CID Director-General, and the matter was referred to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU).

The accused was arrested, and on her caution statement to police, she admitted posting the nude picture together with her son unintentionally.

But the text on her post read, “I’m naked in front of you because this is how naked I was when giving birth to you, so in case you find me lying somewhere, don’t pass by, but see me as your mom who brought you to life.”

This, according to the prosecution, indicated that she deliberately posted nude pictures together with her son.

Similar Incidents

In April 2014, a 24-year-old labourer was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment by the Circuit Court in Accra for posting his ex-girlfriend’s nude pictures on Facebook, a social media platform.

David Dickson Donkoh is said to have embarked on the act after his ex-girlfriend had terminated their one-year-old relationship.

According to the complainant, Donkoh had slept with her close friend, hence her decision to end the relationship.

In his bid to show his powers, Donkoh posted the complainant’s nude pictures on Facebook, after he had asked her to rescind her decision but to no avail.

He was charged with causing emotional, verbal and psychological abuse to the victim, to which he pleaded guilty and the court, presided over by Sedina Agbemeva, convicted him on his own plea.

Handing down the sentence, the judge noted that the act was a gross violation of the victim’s right to privacy, while it further undermined her dignity.

In July 2019, the Odumase Krobo Circuit Court in the Eastern region, presided over by F.Y. Gbeddy, jailed a 29-year-old man, Prince Teye, three years for circulating a nude photograph of his ex-girlfriend on social media.

The convict was charged for “unlawfully” and “intentionally” publishing obscene pictures.

In May 2020, a 24-year-old man was sentenced after nude videos of his girlfriend went viral.

Francis Aggrey, a student of Assin Fosu College of Education, was found guilty of two criminal charges – conspiracy and extortion.

He pleaded guilty to both charges and was convicted on his own plea at the Accra Circuit Court presided over by Emmanuel Marvin Essandoh.

The accused person was sentenced to three years with hard labour by the court on the charge of extortion.