Man, 25, in court for raping 14 year old girl

Ho, July 29, GNA - A 25-year old trader, Samuel Atsu Tackie, on Tuesday appeared before the Ho Circuit Court charged with defiling a 14-year-old JSS girl.

Tackie, who pleaded not guilty was remanded in prison custody until August 5, this year.

Prosecuting Inspector Samuel Appiah-Kubi, told the Court that in September last year, the accused sent the victim to deliver money to his grandmother and after the victim's return, he lured her into his music shop and had sex with the victim.

Chief Inspector Appiah-Kubi said the victim, who lived in the same house with Tackie at Ho-Bankoe, did not meet the grandmother and returned the money to the accused in his music shop where he dragged her behind the counter, increased the volume of the music and defiled her. He said the victim's scream for help was drowned by the loud music blaring from Tackie's speakers, "which enabled the accused to penetrate her several times."

Inspector Appiah-Kubi said Tackie then warned the victim not to disclose the incident to anyone or risked death. The court heard that the victim, who became ill and complained of severe abdominal pains, divulged her predicament upon persistent query from her mother.

Chief Inspector Appiah-Kubi said an attempt to arrest Tackie on April 16, this year, failed as he bolted until July 18, when he was arrested in Accra in the company of others who had gone to the house of the victim's father to negotiate for an out of court settlement.