A 26-year-old miner, Charles Amankwah, has been sentenced to 20 years in imprisonment with hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court after being found guilty of defiling an eight-year-old girl.
According to graphic.com.gh, despite pleading not guilty, the court found sufficient evidence to convict him following a full trial.
Presiding Judge Hathia Ama Manu emphasised that the victim had endured severe psychological trauma for over six months.
She imposed a harsh sentence to serve as a deterrent to others, the report added.
Chief Superintendent of Police Alex Odonkor, who led the prosecution, stated that the victim’s mother, the complainant, resides with her daughter in Brahabebome, in the Western Region.
Amankwah, who lived in the same house, is said to have developed a close relationship with the complainant and the child.
Investigations revealed that Amankwah exploited this trust and since 2023, had sexually abused the girl in his room while her mother was away. The abuse began when she was seven years old and in primary one.
The case came to light on June 16, 2024, when a concerned citizen alerted the complainant.
Upon questioning, the child confirmed the abuse. The matter was promptly reported to the Western Central Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit at Tarkwa.
Authorities issued a medical report form for examination, and the results, officially endorsed by a medical officer, were submitted to the police.
Amankwah was subsequently arrested and interrogated but denied the accusations in his caution statement, made in the presence of an independent witness.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
