Kumasi: Man, 64, arrested for slashing 9-year-old boy’s wrist over sugarcane
Residents of Kotei, a suburb of Kumasi, are reeling in shock after a 64-year-old man allegedly attacked a 9-year-old boy with a cutlass, inflicting a deep wound on his wrist over the alleged theft of sugarcane.
The incident occurred on Monday, July 29, 2025, at about 4:30 p.m. when the suspect, identified as Robert Quaicoe, reportedly caught the victim, Kelvin Oppong, and some of his friends harvesting sugarcane from his farm without permission. According to police and eyewitness accounts, Quaicoe chased the children away but managed to apprehend Kelvin.
In what police describe as an “excessive and violent” reaction, the elderly man allegedly slashed the child’s left wrist with a cutlass, causing a severe injury that required urgent medical attention.
Kelvin’s father, Francis Adu, a 40-year-old driver’s mate, said he was horrified to see his son return home with a heavily bleeding wrist. He rushed the boy to the hospital before taking both the injured child and the suspect to the KNUST District Police Station to report the incident.
A police statement confirmed:
“On 01/08/2025, at 21:40 hours, Francis Adu brought his nine-year-old son, whose left wrist was bandaged, along with the suspect, 64-year-old Robert Quaicoe, to the KNUST Police Station. The complainant reported that on 29/07/2025, the suspect caught his son and other children harvesting sugarcane on his farm. He managed to arrest the boy and slashed his wrist with a cutlass while the others escaped.”
Police issued a medical form for Kelvin to receive further treatment, while the suspect was re-arrested, cautioned, and detained to assist with investigations. Officers are also working to trace and obtain statements from the other children present during the incident.
The attack has drawn strong condemnation from residents, who described the suspect’s actions as extreme and unacceptable.
“This is a child. Even if he did something wrong, using a cutlass is inhumane,” one resident lamented.
Police have assured the public that justice will be served and urged community members to remain calm as the investigation continues.
Source: Ghana/otecfghana.com/Regina Aboagye
