Accra, March 13, GNA - A 36-year-old factory hand who sexually abused his 11 year-old daughter, assaulted her and nearly burned her belongings for reporting him to the police has been sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.

Joseph Adotey, who attributed his callous behaviour to the devil, pleaded guilty to defilement, incest, indecent assault and assault. The court, presided over by Mrs. Bartels Cudjoe sentenced him to 25 years' imprisonment on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Chief Inspector Christian Amuzu told the court that last week the Police had a report on the incident from a Good Samaritan who led the victim, a class five pupil, to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at Odorkor.

The victim reported that her father sexually abused her four times. According to the victim the fourth incident took place on February 8, this year, and she wanted her father to be arrested. Soon after leaving the Police station, she narrated the incident to her other siblings.

The prosecution said when Adotey heard that he had been reported to the police and his other children, he assaulted the victim, gathered her belongings and decided to burn them.

The victim went back to the Good Samaritan and told him that her father had assaulted her. She was led to report the reaction of his father to the Police and he was arrested.

When the victim's father was arrested he attributed his behaviour to the devil.

The prosecution said the convict was still married to the victim's mother who was staying at Gomoa Abofu in the Central Region because of a marital problem. The prosecutor said hospital examination proved that the victim was pregnant and she was still bleeding because Adotey kicked her in the abdomen and there were fears that she might have a miscarriage.