A devastating case of domestic violence in Akyempim, Upper Denkyira East Municipality in the Central Region, ended in horror last Saturday when a mother, her five children and a grandchild were burnt to death in what police suspect was an arson attack carried out by the husband and father involved.

The man at the centre of the tragedy, Yaw Afriyie, a farmer and small-scale miner popularly known as Batman, had a long history of abusing his wife Ama Dapaah and their children.

He had recently served a three-month jail term for inflicting life-threatening injuries on two of the children—an incident that occurred after he attempted to attack his wife.

Despite mediation attempts and a plea for leniency from Ama Dapaah during his trial, Afriyie returned from prison with his violent behaviour unabated. The abuse forced Ama to move with the children into her family home in the same community.

Padlocked room, no escape


The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) received a distress call at 1:04 a.m. Crews arrived within 16 minutes but found the family locked inside a bedroom engulfed in flames. Firefighters battled for 12 minutes to put out the blaze, but all seven victims were already dead.

According to preliminary investigations, Afriyie intentionally set the fire and locked the room from outside to ensure none of the victims could escape.

At dawn, police found his body hanging from a tree in a nearby bush—an apparent suicide.

Police confirm long-standing abuse


Upper Denkyira East Municipal Police Commander, DSP Simon Boavo, confirmed that the family had a history of violent domestic conflict and that the suspect’s insecurity had intensified in recent months. Afriyie was said to have accused his wife of infidelity due to his own potency problems.

Neighbours also told police that Afriyie had repeatedly threatened to kill his wife and then take his own life. However, those threats were never formally reported.

Earlier on the night of the fire, Afriyie confronted Ama for being outside late, escorting her back to the house—moments before the attack.

Bodies at hospital morgue


The burnt remains of the victims are currently at the Dunkwa Municipal Government Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem examinations, after which they will be released to relatives for burial.

The GNFS has described the incident as “deeply tragic” and has urged the public to be alert to domestic violence and fire safety risks.

Credit: Graphic.com.gh