Father put before tribunal for incest

An Accra Circuit tribunal on Friday remanded into prison custody Emmanuel Asuman, a driver, for allegedly threatening and forcibly defiling his 14-year-old daughter.

Asuman, who pleaded not guilty to threat of death and incest, would re-appear on January 25. The tribunal chaired by Mr Imoru Ziblim heard that the victim is the accused person's daughter and she resided with her mother at Dome. The mother and the father are however separated.

In December last year the victim visited the accused and menstruated during the visit. The victim asked Asuman to give her money to buy sanitary pad but he refused.

After her menstrual period the accused told the victim that he wanted to shave her pubes but she refused and later shaved it herself. Later in the evening Asuman asked the victim if she had shaved to which she replied in the affirmative. The accused insisted on inspecting it and when the victim took off her pants Asuman forcibly defiled her.

The victim informed a friend of hers, who advised her to shout for help any time the accused made an attempt to defile her since it was a taboo to engage in such an act with her father.

On the night of December 17 last year Asuman accused the victim of having had sex with someone since her body smelled of sperm. The accused then said he wanted to inspect her genitals, took off her pants and forcibly had sex with her. Asuman again demanded for another round of sex at knifepoint.

The victim shouted for help and neighbours came to her rescue by forcing the door to his room open. They saw him lying naked on the victim and holding a knife. Asuman confessed having had sex with the daughter.