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13.10.2006 General News

Judge Suggests Abortion To Save Girl's Future

By GNT
Judge Suggests Abortion To Save Girl's Future
13.10.2006 LISTEN

A Cape Coast circuit court judge, Mr Mustapha Logoh, has ordered a test be conducted on a 14-year-old junior secondary school girl, who was defiled and became pregnant.

This is to determine the duration of the pregnancy and to see whether it could be aborted, to save her future.

Mr Logoh, who gave the order, said not only was the victim "too young to give birth", but it was evident that there would be no one to cater for her, if the rapist, who claims to be an orphan, was sent to prison.

He, therefore, deferred sentencing a 25-year-old driver's mate at Assin Fosu, Fredrick Essimah, who pleaded guilty to defilement, to Tuesday, October 24.

Prosecuting, ASP Akwasi Sarfo-Adjei had earlier told the court that in July 2006, Essimah befriended the victim and slept in her room every night.

He said on the night of July 25, Essimah jumped through the window and fled when he heard the victim's father approaching.

He said when the girl was questioned about the man's presence in her room, she told her father that he had been coming to sleep in her room and that he had sex with her anytime he did.

ASP Sarfo-Adjei said the girl's father warned her not to allow Essimah into her room again, but sometime in September, her teacher observed that she vomited in the mornings each time she came to school.

The prosecutor said the girl was taken to hospital for a pregnancy test and it was detected she was about three months pregnant, and she mentioned Essimah as the one responsible.

He said Essimah was arrested and in his caution statement he admitted befriending the girl.

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