Miner "sleeps" with own daughter

Kade, June 9, GNA - Kwasi Apinteng, a 41 year-old Miner, was on Tuesday arraigned before the Kade District Magistrate Court on a charge of incest. Apinteng is accused of having carnal knowledge of his 18 year-old biological daughter.

His plea was not taken and he was remanded in prison custody until June 18. However, the Magistrate, Mr Abdul Majid Iliasu, ordered that the case be transferred to the Asamankese Circuit Court, which has jurisdiction to hear such cases.

Giving the facts of the case, Police Inspector D. A. Atigsika said the accused and his daughter including the complainant, a girl friend of the victim, lived in the same house at Akyem Apinamang.

He said on May 30 at about 1900 hours, the two girls decided to go and bath together where on their way to the bathroom; they met the accused, who whispered something into his daughter's ear.

The daughter then followed the father to his room whilst the complainant went to bath alone.

After bathing and dressing and her friend not coming, the complainant decided to check what the victim was doing with the father before keeping so long.

The prosecutor said when the complainant went to Apinteng's door and found it locked; she decided to peep through a hole in the door. To her surprise, she saw the father having sex with the daughter and raised the alarm and people went to the scene to see what was happening. The father on hearing the alarm jumped through the window and escaped, but was later apprehended and sent to the police station.

The girl also fled the town for some time, but when she re-surfaced the police gave her a medical report form to attend hospital. In his caution statement, Apinteng admitted having had incestuous relations with his daughter and was therefore processed for court. The Magistrate remarked that anytime such cases got to him, he was inclined to believe that the perpetrators were mentally ill, but surprising they were sane.

He told the accused that if he actually did it, he should expect to go to prison for as long as 20 years. Apinteng however, without being asked told the court that "I did not do well".