Shopkeeper, 48, defiles girl, 11

A 48-year-old shopkeeper has been dragged before an Accra circuit court for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old pupil.

The accused, Mohammed Obuamah Addy, is reported to have defiled the victim (name withheld) between August last year and January this year.

Before the judge, Abena Oppong Adjin Doku, the accused person, who was represented by lawyer Niibi Ayi Bontey, denied the offence and was remanded into police custody until March 1, 2017.

This was after the court had dismissed a bail application by his counsel.

Opposing the application for bail, the prosecutor, Detective Inspector Kofi Atimbiri, said the victim got so traumatized that she slashed herself with a razor blade after the incident.

But Mr Ayibontey disagreed, insisting that the basis for the opposition of the bail for his client was not grounded in law.

However, the judge said the bail application would be refused, considering the close relationship between the accused and the victim and their closeness in terms of residence.

The court rather opted for a speedy trial of the case and adjourned hearing until the afore-stated date.

The complainant, Bernice Quartey, 36, is a trader and resident of South Odorkor in Accra while the accused is an uncle to the victim, residing at Atukpai, a suburb of James Town, also in Accra.

According to the prosecutor, the victim had been going to Mohammed’s place to watch ‘Veera,’ a telenovela, on television and that the accused also has two children who are friends of the victim.

Detective Inspector Atimbiri said in August last year, the victim went to Mohammed’s room to watch the programme with the accused person’s children, but the accused sent his children and locked the door, gagged the with a handkerchief and forcibly had sex with her and threatened her not to disclose it to anyone else he would sack her (the victim’s) mother from where she sells her food.

One Saturday afternoon in the month of January 2017, Mohammed again had sex with the victim when she went to watch the telenovela, narrated Detective Inspector Atimbiri.

The victim was traumatized and did not know what to do and on February 9 during school hours, she took a blade, slashed herself on the left arm and bled profusely.

Upon interrogation by her teacher, the victim narrated her ordeal, leading to the arrest of Mohammed Obuamah Addy.