Karen Baaba Sam, the Ghanaian woman who bravely exposed years of alleged abuse at the hands of her ex-partner, Nana Kwadwo Adjei, is now fighting a new battle—one she claims is being waged not in the shadows, but in the very halls of justice meant to protect her.
In a dramatic escalation of her fight for safety and custody of her six-year-old daughter, Karen has petitioned the Acting Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, pleading for urgent intervention against what she describes as “continued abuse through the judicial system.”
The four-page petition, dated July 1, 2025, and titled “Reminder on Previous Petitions and Further Petition Against Continued Abuse by Mr. Kwadwo Adjei and Some Judges,” alleges that Adjei is manipulating court rulings to inflict psychological torment on Karen and her young daughter.
Copied to President John Dramani Mahama, the Judicial Council, Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine, and multiple court registrars, the document paints a chilling picture of a woman trapped in a legal labyrinth—one where, she claims, her abuser holds the map.
This is not Karen’s first cry for help. Her initial June 4 petition detailed years of alleged domestic violence, child abuse, and “biased judicial conduct” that she says has emboldened Adjei. Despite assurances of a swift response, she says she has heard nothing for over a month.
“My case of grievous domestic abuses and the custody of my little daughter remains stalled and uncertain,” she laments.
Meanwhile, she alleges that Adjei has exploited this judicial inertia. On June 25, Justice Kwasi Agyenim Boateng of the Accra High Court issued an order that Karen says allowed Adjei to publish defamatory content about her in the media days later.
“Over the past year, I have been subjected to such rulings, judge after judge,” she writes in her petition, “except for just a few who have stood their ground.”
Karen’s allegations grow even darker. She claims that the few judges who ruled fairly were “directly threatened, sometimes in open court, by Mr. Adjei.” She even accuses officials from the Judicial Training Institute of making intimidating calls to these judges.
Karen says she spotted a dark grey Toyota Land Cruiser (registration GM 1152-21) parked outside Adjei’s residence. When she investigated, she was stunned to learn it was registered to the Judicial Service of Ghana. The discovery deepened her fears of high-level interference in her case.
Karen’s nightmare began in 2016, when her relationship with Adjei started with affection. But by 2018, when she became pregnant, the emotional abuse had begun. That December, she alleges, he beat her while she was carrying their child.
“I was more scared for my unborn child than for myself,” she recounted in earlier statements.
The abuse escalated, repeated beatings, threats, and psychological torment. When her brother reported Adjei to the East Legon Police, no action was taken. Karen believes Adjei’s “influence within law enforcement” shielded him.
In April 2023, after a public humiliation involving Adjei’s new girlfriend, he allegedly attacked Karen in front of their daughter and two visiting German friends. She finally left him in December 2023, but the abuse didn’t stop.
Adjei allegedly demanded the return of gifts, even their daughter’s school vehicle. Then, in February 2024, the night Karen moved into a new home, armed robbers stormed in. Strangely, the only item left untouched was a necklace Adjei had demanded back the next day. Police suspected an inside job, and Karen was placed under protection.
Today, Karen is entangled in over 15 lawsuits across various courts. She describes the process as “deliberately delayed and manipulated.”
“Nothing has moved forward—only backward,” she says.
One moment haunts her: during a March 26, 2025, Supreme Court hearing, she was told to “safeguard her daughter’s welfare.”
“But how can I, when the system is enabling my abuser?” she asks.
Her July 1 petition ends with an urgent demand: investigate Justice Boateng and remove him from any case involving her or Adjei.
“This judge has more than demonstrated his bias against me,” she argues, citing his June 25 order as proof of a dangerous pattern.
Karen’s case has become more than a personal tragedy—it’s a litmus test for judicial integrity in Ghana. At a time when the nation champions gender equality, her ordeal raises disturbing questions:
– Can a survivor find justice when courts are allegedly weaponized against her?
– Will Ghana’s legal system protect her—or prove her fears right?
