US-based Ghanaian couple sentenced to 25 years for beating child to death

Ghanaian

United States based Ghanaian couple Valerie Owusu, 28, and Emmanuel Addae, 28, were sentenced to 25 years in prison for the second-degree murder of Valerie's son, King Owusu, who was beaten to death with multiple instruments in their Lefrak City apartment in late March 2021.

The jury's decision was followed by a judge handing down the maximum sentence to both

Read full articledefendants, stating that no one was "more deserving" of such a penalty.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney, while acknowledging the jury's decision, emphasized that the outcome would not bring back the young boy.

Tierney expressed the tragic nature of the case, highlighting the irreversible loss suffered.

Prosecutors revealed that after the brutal beating, the defendants watched King Owusu's condition deteriorate over three days before taking him to Addae's parents' home in Long Island, where he lost consciousness.

A relative contacted authorities, who then rushed King to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Tierney described the harrowing details of the case, noting that King had endured days of suffering at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend, resulting in his tragic death.

The medical examiner testified that the injuries sustained by King were extensive, covering his entire body and too numerous to count.

"The jury has spoken, but unfortunately, that will not bring back this young boy," Tierney said. "This little boy was beaten and suffered for days at the hands of these defendants, one of whom was his own mother, until he, unfortunately, succumbed to his severe and extensive injuries."

The trial's conclusion marks a tragic end to the life of King Owusu and a heartbreaking chapter for those involved in the case.

The sentencing of Valerie Owusu and Emmanuel Addae to 25 years in prison serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of child abuse and the importance of justice in such cases.