The Kumasi gender-based court, presided over by Janet Anima Maafo, has sentenced Victor Danso, 37 years of age, to 18 years’ imprisonment in hard labour for sleeping with his daughter to compensate for the payment of her school fees.

Danso, a taxi driver, who succeeded in having sexual intercourse with his 17-year-old biological daughter—who is in senior high school—has begun paying for the consequences of his conduct.

At the court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of incest and assault, contrary to Sections 105(1) and 84 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) as amended by Section 11 of Act 554/98.

Presenting the facts of the case to the court, Chief Inspector Philip Yao Bebli said the victim’s mother, who is the complainant in the case, is a trader residing at Nsawam in the Eastern Region, whilst the convict is a resident of Bremang, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

According to the prosecution, the girl stays with her mother at Nsawam but goes to stay with her father in Kumasi when her school goes on mid-term holidays.

Sometime in March 2014, Danso convinced his daughter and succeeded in having sexual intercourse with her, after which he threatened her with non-payment of her school fees and death if she disclosed her ordeal to anybody.

For fear of losing her education, the victim consented to the sexual demands of her father on five different occasions.

Chief Inspector P.Y. Bebli disclosed that on October 30, 2014, the man demanded sex with his daughter again but this time she declined her father’s request.

Even though he struggled with her, she managed to escape with bruises on her right hand and made a telephone call to her mother at Nsawam and disclosed her ordeal to her.

Her mother rushed to Kumasi and lodged a formal complaint with the Suntreso District Police Command, resulting in his arrest. He admitted having had sex with his daughter but said it was on only one occasion.