Drama in court as carpenter gets 10 years for incest

A 40-year-old welder; Emmanuel Kwesi Yevu, who is accused of defiling his 13-year-old daughter blamed his action on “juju,” (magic) when he made his second appearance before a Circuit Court in Accra.

Yevu told the court that somebody had cast a spell on him because he was getting more customers in his carpentry business.

When the court asked why he defiled his daughter, Yevu said: “My Lord the thing came on me in a spiritual form. I sometimes dream that I am sleeping with my late wife. I took in some alcohol on the day in question before going to bed. I detected that my daughter had placed her legs on mine and I mistook her to be that of my late wife and I defiled her.”

This, according to Yevu, had had happened on two occasions.

Yevu, who is charged with defilement and incest pleaded guilty.

But just as the court was about to hand down Yevu’s sentence, his brother raised his hands saying he had sometime to say.

Yevu’s brother told the court that Yevu had confided in him that somebody had cast a spell on him and blamed his action on “juju.”

The court presided over by Mrs Justice Georgina Mensah-Datsa however sentenced Yevu to 10 years on each of the charges. The sentences would however run concurrently.

The court told Yevu that it only had power to deal with the charges brought against him adding: “You can pursue the juju case at the juju court.”

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sarah Acquah told the court that the complainant was the victim’s uncle.

Yevu is the father of the victim. Since the death of the victim’s mother, she had been living with the father at Omanjor in Accra.

ASP Acquah said during October 2011, the victim was sleeping when Yevu forced her and had sex with her on two occasions.

After the acts, the victim informed her father that she had not menstruated for the past three months.

ASP Acquah said Yevu knowing very well that the victim was pregnant, gave the victim medicine to swallow and insert some of the medicine into her vagina.

Soon after inserting the medicine, the victim began to complain of abdominal pains and she was rushed to the hospital and a report was made to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit at the Odorkor Police station.

The victim was issued with a medical form while her father was arrested by the Police and during interrogation he admitted the offence.