Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Source: GNA

Fisherman rapes 70-year-old woman

A 31-year-old fisherman from Elmina was on Monday remanded into prison custody by a Cape Coast Circuit Court, for allegedly raping a 70-year-old woman, and attempting to rape another woman, aged 42, at the Ekumfi Arkra beach in the Central Region.

The plea of Kojo Mensah alias Shaibu was not taken, and he will be re-arraigned on Wednesday, July 23.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Andam Okyere who prosecuted, told the court presided over by Mrs. Eva Bannerman-Williams that on Monday, June 16, at 22:30hrs when people were watching the on-going World Cup between Ghana and United States on Television, the 70-year-old woman Efua Akyenfo went to the beach to attend to nature’s call.

According to the prosecutor, Shaibu who was hiding at the beach suddenly grabbed the throat of the woman and pushed her to the ground and ordered her to give him money, but the victim said she had no money.

He said Shaibu then asked for sex, but the victim refused and the accused threatened to stab her with a knife, but the constant refusal infuriated the accused person, who gave her three “powerful” punches in the face dazing her in the process and afterwards raped her.

During the act, Shaibu saw someone, who was later identified as the victim’s sister, approaching them and he bolted.

Shaibu used the same modus operandi to grab the throat of a 42-year-old woman Ama Nyame, a trader and native of Ekumfi Arkrah from behind, pushed her down and tried to sit on her in an attempt to rape her, when she was easing herself at the beach on Tuesday July ,16, 2014, at about 5:00hrs.

Luck, however, ran out on him, when the woman quickly kicked him in his abdomen and he lost grip of her throat.

This enabled her to scream for help, and her husband rushed to her rescue but Shaibu managed to escape.

The prosecution said the victim’s husband went looking for Shaibu, spotted him at the lorry station, raised the alarm and he was apprehended by the town folks who handed him over to the Ekumfi Essakyir Police.

ASP Okyere said the victims were issued with medical forms to attend hospital, while the. docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice