Father remanded for assaulting daughter

A 47-year-old charcoal producer, John Ansah, who consistently assaulted his 13-year-old daughter, has been remanded into police custody by the Tarkwa Circuit Courts. 

Ansah, who was charged with causing harm, indecent assault and female genital mutilation, pleaded guilty. 

Although the presiding judge, Hathia Ama Manu, convicted him on his own plea, the court deferred his sentence to Thursday, April 18, 2024.

In addition, it ordered a social enquiry report from the Social Welfare and Community Development office in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality to aid its decision. 

Prosecuting, Police Superintendent Juliana Essel-Dadzie, told the court that the complainant was a supervisor at the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) and resided at Agona Nkwanta, while the accused was the biological father of the victim. 

She said Ansah was a single parent and lived with his children, including the victim in a cottage at Kwapong located within the GREL plantation. 

The prosecution said Ansah had been subjecting the victim to all kinds of abuse with the accusation that she was going after men and was having sexual intercourse with them. 

Ansah felt he was fed up with her alleged promiscuous conduct and planned to deal with her. 

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said on March 24, 2024, he tied the legs and hands of the victim with a rope in their bamboo house. 

He then put two cutlasses into a fire and pushed the same into the victim’s vagina in turns, as a result of which she sustained severe burns around her vagina and thighs. 

While Ansah was torturing the victim, she cried out loudly for help, and became weak and helpless, but she remained tired in the rope until the next day when she managed to free herself. 

After Ansah had carried out the act, he became frightened that the victim might sneak from the cottage and expose him, he therefore started monitoring her closely. 

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said on March 26, 2024, the victim managed to escape from the cottage and was rescued by a witness in the case, who rushed her to the Nsuaem Government Hospital where she was admitted for treatment. 

A complainant was lodged at the Nsuaem police, and a medical form was issued to him on behalf of the victim for endorsement and the same was returned to the police. 

The prosecution said the complainant later led the police to pick up Ansah and he was handed over to the Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service for investigation.