Jailed 30 years for raping pregnant woman

Tarkwa, (W/R) June 8, - GNA- A 19-year-old young man, Kwadwo Asana, a native of Zebilla in the Upper East Region was on Thursday sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for threatening and raping a woman who is eight months old pregnant in the bush.

He was given a maximum of 25 years for raping and five years for threatening the life of the woman.

He threatened the woman with a kitchen knife and a cutlass saying, her refusal would result in her death.

The complainant refused and the accused had to struggle with her until she was overpowered.

The accused was sentenced on his own plea by a Tarkwa Circuit court, presided over by Mr. John Ajet Nasam.

Prosecuting, Inspector Florence Tawiah of Tarkwa Police said the complainant, 25 is a seamstress and resides at Prestea, whilst the accused is a farm labourer and has no fixed address at Prestea. She said the complainant, who is eight months pregnant has a husband and on June 5, 2006 went to her farm at No. 1 compound near Prestea to harvest foodstuffs at about 0900 hours.

The accused, who is not known within the area approached the complainant on her farm to seek for "labourer work" to do. Inspector Tawiah said the complainant then told him that she would not need his services.

The accused then left the complainant's farm. At about 1330 hours, while the complainant was going home with foodstuffs the accused attacked and held her from behind and threatened her with a cutlass and kitchen knife, saying, "if you do not allow me to have sexual intercourse with you, I will kill you".

Inspector Tawiah said the complainant refused and the accused pushed her onto the ground, where they struggled until the complainant became weak.

The accused then had "three rounds" sexual intercourse with her on the ground in the bush.

After satisfying himself he threatened her not to disclose the incident to anybody else he would kill her.

Complainant took to her heels when she was allowed to go and luckily met one James Arthur and his wife Grace Arthur at a junction, about 300 metres away and narrated her ordeal to them.

Inspector Tawiah said One Abubakari Sadick who resides in the area was also called for assistance and a search was mounted. The accused was found about 20 metres away from the crime scene.

He was arrested. The cutlass and the kitchen knife were retrieved from him and was handed over Prestea police.

Inspector Tawiah said the accused first denied the allegation but signs of a struggle was found on the crime scene.

At this juncture, the accused admitted the offence and said it was the work of the devil.