Court remands mason over defilement

An Accra Circuit Court on Monday remanded a mason for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl.

David Zebede, 35, pleaded not guilty to the charge and he will make his next appearance on July 7.

He had told the court that he was framed up by those who arrested him.

Prosecuting, Sergeant Opoku Aniagyei, who held brief for Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, told the Court presided over by Mrs Eva Bannerman Williams that the complainant is a trader and the guardian of the victim and lived together in Accra.

He said the accused person is their neighbour and that in the morning of June 18, he went to buy food and met the victim, who was selling buff loaves.

The Prosecution said the accused person called the girl under the pretext of buying some and managed to pull her into his room where he forcibly had sex with her whilst she shouts for help.

He said the victim was rescued by sympathizers who heard her cry and caused the arrest of the accused person and handed him over to the Police.

He said the case was referred to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service for investigations, where a medical report form was issued for the victim to be sent to the hospital for examination and it was duly endorsed by the hospital officials.

The prosecution said in the course of the investigations, the accused person denied the offence and told the police that he has been framed by those who arrested him.

He said the medical report indicated that the hymen of the victim was completely torn and after investigations, the accused was arraigned.