Teacher jailed 8 years for defiling pupil

AN Awutu Bereku-based teacher may not have been content with the ?80,000-a-month pay he was receiving for the extra-class lessons he was imparting to his 14-year-old pupil and therefore defiled and impregnated her.

Martin Luther Darko, 28, has consequently been jailed eight years with hard labour by the Dawurampong Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement and the presiding judge, Mr Paul Kwesi Richardson, convicted and sentenced him accordingly.

According to the prosecution, Darko allegedly had sex with his victim in July, September, October and November this year, thus attracting four counts. Darko, however, pleaded not guilty to two of the counts, saying that he had sex with the girl only in July and October.

The court therefore sentenced him on the two counts, to run concurrently. Darko’s parents had earlier paid a ?200,000 compensation to the victim and pleaded with her mother to allow him to marry the girl. The victim’s mother however refused, saying that she would take care of her daughter till she delivers and sponsor the completion of her education.

Inspector E. A. Agyemang of the Dawurampong Police, told the court that the victim is a 14-year-old pupil of Little Rock Academy at Kasoa and lives at Awutu Bereku with her mother while Darko lives at Bereku and teaches in the same school.

The prosecutor said Darko charged ?80,000 a month in respect of his extra-class lessons for the victim and her younger brother in their house. He said the teacher and the victim’s mother became like a brother and sister, which made it possible for the teacher to come to the house at any time and the children also visited his house.

The prosecutor said, for reasons best known to him, the teacher changed the venue of their classes from the pupils’ house to his house and had sex with the girl for the first time in July this year.

Inspector Agyemang said the act was repeated several times and on each occasion, Darko would first send his victim’s younger brother on an errand.In December, this year, the victim’s mother noticed that she was pregnant. After probing, the girl named Darko as the person responsible.

The mother reported the case to the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Swedru Divisional Police Command and Darko was arrested.