Girl, 12, allegedly defiled and impregnated by police officer

A 12-year-old girl has been defiled and impregnated allegedly by an officer of the Ghana Police Service at Abeka-Lapaz in Accra.

Lance Corporal Emmanuel Kwamena Bartels is alleged to have had sexual encounters with the minor in the house of her father on three different occasions.

The victim's father, Mawuenyega Quarshie who reported the case to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) at the Ministries Police Station, is accusing the Police of failing to arrest the suspect after lodging a complaint with them since April 23, 2015.

Speaking with Atinka News' Regina Asamoah, the girl's father suspects the police administration have failed to make an arrest because the suspect is a police officer.

He therefore, fears justice will not be served.

Mr. Quarshie said the suspect, who used to be in his house as a tenant, took advantage of the cordial relationship that existed between them and committed the act.

According to him, his child, who takes money for sanitary pad on a monthly basis no longer came to him for money for the same purpose for sometime, prompting him to question her.

But the 12-year old just told him she wasn’t “flowing”.

The father decided to buy a pregnancy test kit to check if the daughter was pregnant. It was then the girl told him that in his absence, his friend (Emmanuel) forcibly had sex with her on three occasions and warned her not to disclose to the affair else she would die.

A 'shattered' Mr. Quashie then reported the case to the DOVVSU at the Ministries Police who gave him a police medical form for examination.

“I have returned the medical report but the police have failed to arrest the officer and process him for court,” he said.

Checks by Regina Asamoah at the Child Health Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital confirmed that, health officials had attended to the 12-year-old girl and are currently taking her through psychotherapy as it appears that this is the second time the child had been abused; the first occurred when she was eleven years.

The victim in an interaction with Atinka News revealed that, she had to drop out of school when she discovered she was pregnant because, she couldn’t go to school with the pregnancy.

According to her, she wished she could go to school but her hopes seem lost now adding that she is even scared of giving birth because she risks developing some complications associated with minors giving birth.

Meanwhile, Lance Corporal Emmanuel Kwamena Bartels has denied having an affair with the 12-year-old.

ACP Asumado Otchere Darko of Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) also confirmed that the office had received a petition from the girl’s father complaining bitterly about how the Ministries' DOVVSU Police is handling the case brought against the officer.

ACP Otchere Darko said frantic efforts are being made to ensure that justice is served.