The Gender Based Violence Court has sentenced a 23-year-old carpenter to 10 years imprisonment for having sex with a 13-year-old girl at Ashalaja in the Greater Accra Region.

Christopher Kavi, charged with defilement, pleaded guilty.

Kavi was convicted on his plea and sentenced accordingly by the court housed at the Ghana Police Service headquarters.

Prosecution led by Detective Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyei said the complainant was a trader and mother of the victim, aged 13.

Prosecution said Kavi, the complainant and the victim reside in the same vicinity at Ashalaja. The accused person is a friend to the complainant and the victim.

On December 19, 2023, the victim told her mother that she will be attending church service.

Prosecution said the complainant obliged the victim and asked that she took her younger brother along.

According to the prosecutor, while the victim was on her way to church, Kavi called the victim, saying he was sick, so the victim promised to visit him after church.

Prosecution said when the church was about to close, the victim left the church premises and went to Kavi’s house at about 8:30pm.

It said Kavi took the victim to his room and she sat on his bed because there was no chair in the room.

Prosecution said Kavi went to take his bath and came to lie on his bed while talking to the victim.

The prosecutor said while conversing with the victim Kavi slept off.

Prosecution said when Kavi woke up and found the victim in his room, he started kissing her and he had sex with the victim.

After the act, Prosecution said Kavi went to escort the victim to her house because it was late in the night.

Prosecution said the complainant and other family members who searching for the victim, met Kavi and the victim.

Kavi was apprehended by the complainant and her family members and sent him to Danchira Police Station.

On December 20, 2023, the Danchira Police sent Kavi to the Police at Weija Divisional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) and a medical report was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.

When the medical report was fully endorsed by the Medical Doctor and after careful investigations, Kavi was charged.