28-year-old man ties up, defiles 10-year-old cousin

Correspondence from Eastern Region

The Odumase-Krobo Circuit Court in the Eastern Region has passed judgment on a chilling case in which a man cruelly tied up and defiled a 10-year-old girl at Manaam, a suburb of Lower Manya Krobo.

The Court, while delivering its verdict on the case, sentenced 28-year-old Bernard Tetteh Tawiah to 10 years imprisonment in hard labor for defiling the class four pupil of the Life Gate Academy, contrary to Section 101 of the Criminal Act 1960, Act 29.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector (D/C Inspt.) Daniel Apedo told the Court, presided over by Kwase Apiatse Abaidoo Esq., that both the Complainant, Tetteh Mary Korkor aged 51, the victim, and Convict lived in the same house at Manaam.

He disclosed that at about 17.00 hours on Wednesday, the 26th day of July 2023, Bernard requested a ruler from the victim to which she obliged.

The victim, however, went into the convict’s room to inform him that she did not find her ruler but while leaving, he held her by the hand, dragged her into his room again, and locked the door.

The convict reportedly pushed the victim onto his bed and with a rope, tied her hands to her back, raised her dress and forcibly removed her panties before having sex with her.

After the act, Bernard pleaded with the victim not to reveal the incident to her parents or any other person else he would be sacked from the house.

The prosecutor averred that the victim heeded the plea of her abuser and kept the incident to herself until the 5th of August, 2023 when her mother noticed that her dress was stained with a brownish substance and questioned her about it.

He furthered that on the following day, the victim then told Korkor that on the date in question, the convict forcibly had sex with her and pleaded with her not to inform anyone.

Based on this revelation, the complainant then led the victim to the police where a formal complaint was lodged, leading to the arrest of Bernard.

A police medical report form was subsequently prepared and issued to the Complainant to send the victim to the Atua Government Hospital for treatment and examination where the minor was admitted for treatment.

The convict in his caution statement and before an independent witness admitted the offence and was subsequently brought before the Court after further police investigation.

After a week of the trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour.