A woman has been arrested in Ghana after she allegedly used a pair of scissors to cut off the toe of her own daughter as punishment for returning home late, in a case that has drawn public outrage over child abuse.
The suspect is accused of severing the right index toe of her daughter, Diana Boakye, after the child reportedly came home later than permitted. The incident, reported by 3News on Saturday, April 4, 2026, has been taken up by the police, and the suspect is currently in custody while investigations continue.
Details of the exact location of the incident and the age of the victim have not yet been officially confirmed by the police. The Ghana Police Service has not issued a formal statement on the matter as of the time of publication.
Ghana’s Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), prohibits all forms of physical abuse against children, and the Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act 732), provides further protections. Offences involving the deliberate infliction of bodily harm on a child can attract prosecution under these statutes.
The case highlights persistent concerns about the use of extreme physical punishment in domestic settings. The Chief Executive Officer of Child Rights International (CRI), Bright Appiah, disclosed as recently as February 2026 that approximately 90 percent of child abuse cases in Ghana are resolved outside the formal legal system due to interference by influential individuals, a situation he said denies abused children justice and emboldens offenders.
The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service has a mandate to handle such cases and is expected to be involved in supporting the victim. It remains unclear at the time of publication whether Diana Boakye has received medical treatment for her injury.
This publication will provide updates as more details emerge from police and judicial proceedings.
