Carpenter Jailed For Assaulting Girl, 8

The suspect, Frank Bansah, was jailed by an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Sedina Agbemava, who said the prosecution, led by ASP Sarah Akua Acquah, had been able to prove that the accused person was guilty.

The trial judge said she found the evidence of the suspect not credible enough and even though three witnesses testified, she equally discovered that their evidence lacked credibility, unlike the evidence of the victim and her mother which sounded credible.

The trial judge went ahead and jailed the suspect.

The facts of the case as presented by ASP Acquah are that the complainant is a trader and lives with her family, including the eitht-year old victim, at Oyarifa near Adenta, a suburb of Accra.

The accused, who is a carpenter and doubles as a labourer doing menial jobs, lives at Teiman, also at Oyarifa. On September 16, 2013, at about 8.30 am, the complainant and the victim went to visit a neighbour called Mary who was a witness in this case.

She said the complainant remembered she had left the small gate to their house ajar and sent the victim to go and lock it. She (victim) was said to have met the accused weeding a portion of land opposite their house.

ASP Acquah said the carpenter pleaded with the victim to buy him a sachet of water but she refused.

According to the prosecutor, the accused was infuriated, pounced on her, pull her to a corner and started beating her.

The victim attempted to shout but he held her neck, pushed her to the ground and under the pretext of assaulting her, raised her dress, and inserted his finger into her vagina.

According to the prosecutor, Frank Bansah was later arrested after the police had concluded their investigations.

By Evelyn Dede Kweitsu