Farmer jailed 19 years for defilement

The Bibiani circuit court has sentenced a 21-year-old farmer, Kwaku Mahuwo, to 19 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling a 13-year-old girl.

Mahuwo was convicted on his own guilty plea.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector, Lucky Goglomi told the Court presided over by Mr Kwaku Aboagye that the accused resides at Affulkrom near Bibiani in the Western Region, where the parents of the victim also lived.

Police Inspector Goglomi said on 24th of March this year, at about 1700 hours, the victim and her younger brother went to fetch water from a nearby well and their container fell into it.

Not long after, the accused arrived at the scene and offered to help them retrieve the container, and asked the victim's brother to look for a long rope to enable him to bring it out.

The convict then took advantage of the brother's absence lured the victim into a nearby cocoa farm and forcibly had sex with her.

He then warned her not to tell anyone or else he would kill her, which she obliged.

Inspector Goglomi said a few days later the parents of the victim detected a change in her mood and upon interrogations, told them of her ordeal.

She said the parents reported the case to the police, where a medical form was issued to the victim to go to Bibiani Government hospital for examination, which proved the act.

She said during interrogation, the accused admitted the offence.