Pathologist Dr. Osei Owusu-Afriyie recently testified in the High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, about a disturbing case. The deceased, a victim of a severe head injury from blunt trauma, was prematurely buried while still alive, leading to his death by asphyxiation. This was revealed during the trial of two teenagers, a 15-year-old juvenile and an 18-year-old young offender, who are accused of causing the death of their friend, Abdullah.
Dr. Owusu-Afriyie, the 7th Prosecution Witness, explained the cause of death in detail. He said that when a person cannot breathe, the lungs become hyper-inflated, and the body turns “blue,” which was the condition of the victim due to premature burial following a blunt head injury. The 15-year-old admitted to the offense, but the court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, as the law requires the jury to determine the matter upon full trial.
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While giving his evidence-in-chief, Dr. Owusu-Afriyie, led by Senior State Attorney Dorcas Felli, reiterated his findings. He stated, “My lady, the significant findings are massive swollen on the right side of the neck and right side of the head with fracture of the bones on the right side of the head, with blood and swelling over the right side of the brain. My lady, there were also hyper-inflated lungs and ‘blueing’ of the body.” He concluded that the ‘blueing’ of the body and hyper-inflated lungs suggest the victim was still alive at the time of burial.
