Africans abroad. In recent shocking events, a Ghanaian woman named Aba Hagan has been arrested in the US for punishing her child the Ghana way by –inserting ginger in her son’s anus.
According to the US police, this type of corporal punishment is painful and embarrassing and thus she has been charged on four counts facing judgement.
40-year-old Aba Hagan was arrested after officers were dispatched to Rachel Road apartment at about 8 p.m. on a reported domestic dispute. Where they found a naked boy believed to be Aba’s son who said she inserted ginger into his anus.
Apparently, Ms Hagan denied doing anything but insisted, “he had messed up in school and she punished him,” conferring to reports.
According to AGKI, later she relented and confessed to having placed a piece of ginger into the boy’s anus. Officer Daniel Roberts wrote, “I asked why she would do this and she stated this was a common punishment in her home country of Ghana, Africa.”
Another person in the apartment said he had seen similar punishment done in Africa, but knew it was an intolerable practice in America and had made Aba aware. Doctors assessed the boy and took him to Manchester Memorial Hospital. And a report of suspected child abuse or neglect was forwarded to the state Department of Children and Families, Officer Daniels reported.
Ginger is used as a form is a form of corporal punishment among some Ghanaian families by inserting into the vagina (for girls) or anus (for boys). The ginger causes a burning sensation and prolonged discomfort which is thought to deliver ‘sense’ to the sufferer.
What did people on the internet have to say;
“This is s*xual assault”
“African parents love to abuse their kids and call it punishment. Glad she got arrested.”
“I posted this as a reply to someone and I’m posting again in the main chat cause this one hit me hard. I can’t stand for child abuse. Sticking items into children, privates as punishment is dehumanising on multiple levels no amount of “this is culture” can make that right!”
“Although this completely sounds crazy, I personally choose not to judge due to cultural differences, because in the United States, some ethnicities think it is abuse and outlandish to spank your child .. while others view spankings with belts, switches etc as normal…”
” I remembered when my mother pepper me when I was little In Africa smh.😫 I believe it’s a African culture thing. I will never do such to my children. Never.”
“Just because something is cultural, does not make it right.”
“It’s clear to me that the people in the comments aren’t Ghanaian it’s a common punishment that our parents and grandparents passed down. It’s definitely not okay I agree on that. Also this is my friend’s aunt and this happened 5 years ago according to her.”
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