Asamankese, March 20, GNA -- The Asamankese Circuit Court roared with laughter when a 20-year-old labourer facing a charge of defiling an eight-year-old girl told the court that he only slightly penetrated and did not have full sex with the girl.

Sampson Oppong pleaded guilty and was jailed 20 years in hard labour. "I found the girl asleep and I decided to do it but succeeded in only slightly penetrating," he told crowded court which burst into laughter.

When the laughter died down after persistent shouts of "Order! order in court!" the judge, Mr S.S. Appiah, told the accused that any slightest penetration is an offence.

Earlier, Inspector Eric Okyere had told the court that Oppong is employed to pound fufu at the victim's mother's chop-bar. In the afternoon of March five this year, the victim went to sleep but Oppong followed up, pushed her down and covered her mouth with his hand and sexually abused her.

He then threatened to kill her if anyone should get wind of what happened between them. Inspector Okyere said when at about 7 p.m. her mother discovered that she could not walk properly and questioned her, she told the mother of her ordeal with Oppong.

When a report was made to the police and Oppong was arrested, he claimed he had sex with the girl rather on March one and not March five. Further investigations, however, showed that Oppong had sexually abused the girl on both dates. A medical report indicated that her sex organ had been severely damaged.