Man, 48, jailed 20 years for defiling his nine- year-old niece

A 48-year-old taxi driver, Kofi Sekyi

who defiled his nine year old niece

at Ashaiman Jericho has on thursday

been sentenced to 20 years

imprisonment by the Ashaiman

Circuit Court.

Kofi Sekyi alias Samuel Inkoom who

gave “Kalypo” fruit juice to the victim

to appease her after defiling her, was

also asked to pay GH¢10,000 as

compensation to the victim.

The victim (name withheld) until the

incident, had been living with her

uncle at Ashaiman Jericho. Her uncle

had taken charge of her as his

(accused) younger brother (victim’s

father) had gone blind.

The nine-year-old has undergone

vagina surgery at the Korle-Bu

Teaching Hospital and is currently

undergoing psychotherapy at the

Child Health Department of the same

hospital although Doctors say the

child is not able to come for regular

lessons due to lack of financial

support.

The accused had pleaded not guilty

since the trial begun on November

20, 2014, although he had initially

confessed to the crime in his

statement when he was arrested.

Giving the judgment, Presiding

Judge, Lydia Osei-Marfo found the

accused guilty of the charge. She

explained that the accused was in a

position of trust yet breached that

trust the family and victim had in him

by his unpardonable act.

Aside considering the age difference,

Mrs. Lydia Osei-Marfo described the

offense as incest as per the Akan

tradition.

She hinted that though the accused

had pleaded not guilty, his earlier

confessions made when arrested

hold, as he failed to prove beyond all

reasonable doubts that he was not

guilty of the crime.

“I reject your denial as your defense

carries no weight,” she said.

Mrs. Lydia Osei-Marfo reproached

him for making the court go through

a lengthy trial when he had no

substantial evidence to prove he was

not guilty of the defilement charge.

Kofi Sekyi begged the Judge to

reduce the sentence as he had

received news that his wife had

delivered their first child (baby girl)

but the Judge turned deaf ears to his

plea and directed him to go for an

appeal if he was not satisfied with

the judgment.

Mother of victim, Joyce Ofosuwaa in

an interview with Atinka FM’s Regina

Asamoah appeared satisfied with the

judgment but was quiet doubtful if

the accused Kofi Sekyi could pay the

GH¢10,000 compensation fee .