Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 6 January 2018

Source: ghananewsagency.org

Five in court over alleged gang rape in Osu

The five have been charged with indecent assault, child pornography and defilement The five have been charged with indecent assault, child pornography and defilement

Five persons including four Junior High School students have been arraigned for their involvement in the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl at Osu in Accra.

The five have been charged with indecent assault, child pornography and defilement after they allegedly inserted their fingers into the victim’s private part, fondled her breasts and forcibly had sex with her.

When the accused persons appeared in court for the second time on Friday, January 5, 2017, the court, presided over Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Jerry Avernorgbor, an Attorney represented them when the case was called.

The prosecutor said the five, including an 18-year old Senior High School student and four Junior High School students’ aged between 16 and 17 kissed and fondled the victim and also recorded videos of the act and posted same on social media.

The victim’s uncle, who saw the video after it went viral confronted her.

This incident comes after a similar one at Bantama in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

The SHS student and the four juveniles were admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢10,000.00 with a surety each when they made their maiden appearance at the court without a counsel.

The court, therefore, advised parents of the teenagers to get legal representation in the matter.

The facts as presented by Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire was that the victim, a student resides at Osu with her mother.

On August 21, 2017 at about 19:00 hours the victim decided to take a stroll to the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Osu where she met one of the juveniles, who was also in the company of the 18-year-old accused.

The accused and one of the juveniles engaged the victim in a conversation and later the 3 other juveniles joined them.

The prosecution said the 18-year-old Senior High student and his accomplices lured the victim to a dark spot near Osu Salem Junior High School and they took turns to fondle her breast and insert their finger into her vagina.

The prosecution said the victim resisted but the other juveniles pinned her down whilst others continue to kiss and fondle her breast.

When she tried to shout for help they gagged her and one of them used his mobile phone to take videos of the act.

After the act, one of the juveniles, aged 16, asked the victim to allow him to have sex with her or else all the five would take turns to have sexual intercourse with her.

The prosecution said after the 16-year-old had sex with the victim, he pulled out a knife and threatened her not to inform anyone.

After the act, the victim and the accused departed.

The prosecution said the sex tape, however, went viral on social media. On September 15, 2017, the victim’s uncle received the video on WhatsApp and when the victim was quizzed she narrated her ordeal.

A report was made to the Police at Osu and medical report form was issued to the victim to seek medical attention.

The prosecution said an investigation led to the arrest of the 18-year-old accused and the four juvenile accomplices.