Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 23 January 2008

Source: GNA

Tichler faces judgment on February 19

Accra, Jan 23 GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday slated February 19, this year for the judgment on the trial of Thomas Allan Tichler, the 57-year-old Briton who is alleged to have fingered the three-year-old daughter of his Ghanaian host.

This was after Ms Barbara Sackey, a State Attorney had finished with the cross-examination of two Defence Witnesses (DW), Dr. Emmanuel Sokpenyo, an Obstetrician Gynaecologist from the Ridge Hospital and the Head of Voluntary Services Organization (VSO) in Ghana. In all, nine witnesses appeared in court to testify during the trial. The seven Prosecution witnesses included the parents of the victim.

Allan Tichler, a Consultant is charged with causing harm and indecent assault to a kid and defiling her. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Evidence before the court is that Allan Tichler visited the victim's father at North Legon, near the Redco Flats on October 13, 2007. The victim's father left her and two siblings in the care of Allan Tichler to purchase some items from town.

Allan Tichler played with the victim and her two siblings, aged eight and six, in the living room but he later got the victim alone and inserted his fingers into her genitals. The victim's mother arrived from town and just as she entered the kitchen, Allan Tichler followed her and requested for water to wash his hands.

Later, the victim went to her mother and said she wanted to urinate and while helping her, the mother noticed bloodstains in the victim's panties. The victim mentioned the accused person as the one who inserted his fingers into her. 23 Jan. 08