A 39-year-old farmer, who defiled a six-year-old girl under a palm tree at Dompim-Pepesa in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality has been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court.

Samuel Attomoh was charged with defiling a female below age 16 contrary to section 101 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).

He admitted the crime and pleaded guilty but asked for mercy from the presiding judge, Hathia Ama Manu, “saying l did not know what came over me to have committed the offence.”

Manu convicted Attomoh on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly.

Superintendent of Police Juliana Essel-Dadzie, said the complainant, Comfort Adjei, a trader, lived with the victim at Dompim-Pepesa.

She said Attomoh who lived in the same neighborhood was a friend to the grandparents of the victim.

The prosecutor said the complainant travelled to Mankesim and left the victim and her siblings in the care of their uncle.

On Monday, January 1, 2024, around 10:00 am, Attomoh went to visit his friends, but he met the victim and her siblings playing.

He took advantage of their absence and lured the victim behind their house, sat on a bench under a palm tree, took the victim onto his lap, shifted her pants, and defiled her.

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said while the act was going on a neighbour who was passing by chanced on Attomoh, screamed and he fled and went into hiding.

The prosecutor said on the same day around 12:00 pm, Comfort arrived at Dompim-Pepesa and the victim informed her of what happened.

The complainant then reported to the Police, and she was issued with a medical form to take the victim to the Hospital for medical attention and report.

The prosecution told the court that the complainant returned the medical form endorsed by a medical officer at the Apinto Government Hospital, and informed the Police that the victim had been examined and treated.

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said Attomoh was later smoked out from his hideout, interrogated, and put before the court.