Crime & Punishment of Monday, 12 October 2009

Source: GNA

Farmer jailed 12 years for defilement

Bibiani (W/R), Oct. 12, GNA - The Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, has sentenced Yaw Danso, a framer, to 12 years imprisonment for defilement.

Yaw Danso, 19, pleaded guilty for defiling the nine-year old girl. The Court heard from the Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Raymond Erzuah, that both the convict and victim lived at Amma, a cottage near Kojobi-krom in the Western Region.

He said on September 26, Danso and Atta Dagarti, the father of the young girl left the cottage on bicycles to attend a funeral at Sefwi Akontobra at about 1600 hours. He said Danso, who had other ideas, secretly rode back to the cottage deep in the night and headed straight to Dagarti's house. ASP Erzuah said when Danso knocked on the door, Dagarti's wife, thinking it was the husband, opened it only to see Danso, who demanded sex from her.

He said the woman refused and fled to inform neighbours in another nearby cottage, leaving the victim behind. ASP Erzuah said the convict took advantage of the situation, lured the nine year old girl into a nearby bush, and sexually abused her. ASP Erzuah said when Dagarti's wife returned with the neighbours, they could not find the young girl and went searching for her. He said they later caught Danso sexually assaulting the victim and that he took to his heels but they managed to arrest and handed him over to the police. He said a medical report signed by doctors who treated the girl confirmed she had been defiled.