Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 22 March 2018

Source: dailyguideafrica.com

Teacher jailed 8 years for sodomy

Michael Owiredu Michael Owiredu

A 21-year-old pupil teacher of Alabasta Preparatory School Opah, near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, has been sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment term by the Amasaman circuit court for sodomizing a class one pupil.

Michael Owiredu was convicted when the court found him guilty of having anal sex with the 12-year-old boy (name withheld ), on four different occasions.

The court heard that Owiredu had been asked by the father of the boy/victim to conduct extra classes for him (boy) at home in order for him to catch up with the pupils in his class.

However, Owiredu took advantage of the situation to sexually abuse the boy.

During his first appearance in court, Owiredu admitted the charge levelled against him and pleaded for mercy, but the trial judge, Patricia Quansah, jailed him eight years with hard labour to serve as a deterrent to others.

The prosecutor, Superintendent Ernest Acheampong, told the court that the complainant is the father of the victim, a mason at Opah, near Amasaman, while the convict is also a pupil teacher living in the area.

Superintendent Ernest Acheampong told the court what happened and how it happened, saying that on that fateful day, Owiredu, who often met the victim in the father’s house for classes, took advantage of his (father’s) absence and had anal sex with the boy on four occasions.

The convict’s first encounter with the victim, according to Superintendent Acheampong, was in an uncompleted building in the vicinity.

On subsequent occasions, the prosecutor claimed that Michael Owiredu took the victim to his house to have anal sex with him.

Supt Acheampong said after their fourth encounter, the victim confided in his sister and told her all that his teacher had been doing to him.

The sister also discussed the issue with a woman in the area and Michael Owiredu was subsequently nabbed.