Mr. Gideon Alateyvi, alias Kwame Gideon, a trader, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Her Honour, Abena Oppong Adjin- Doku.
The Accused person was convicted on his guilty plea after he was charged with defilement, an act that led to pregnancy.
In reading the brief facts, the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, narrated that the Complainant, Rita Kedzi, is a trader and mother of the Victim aged 13 years.
Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said that the Victim who is currently four months pregnant, lives with her mother at Alajo Polo Park junction, while the Accused, a father of three, lives directly opposite the Complainant’s house.
According to the Prosecutor, there is no pipe water in the Complainant’s house and due to this, the Complainant normally sends the Victim to buy pipe water from the Accused person’s landlady.
The Prosecutor added that during the month of April, 2018, one evening, the Victim in the course of going to fetch water, was accosted by the Accused, who told her to pick his mobile phone from his room for him.
“The Victim innocently obliged and in the course of picking the phone from the room, the Accused pounced on her, pushed her unto his bed, covered her mouth with his hand and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her”, the Prosecutor said.
According to Chief Inspector Atimbire, after satisfying himself, the Accused gave the Victim GHC10.00 to keep the act a secret, else, she was going to die.
The Prosecutor narrated that out of fear, the Victim kept it a secret until Sunday, 22nd July, 2018, when her mother noticed some changes in her and caused a pregnancy test to be conducted on her.
Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said that the test revealed that the Victim was indeed pregnant and upon persistent questioning by Her mother, the Victim finally opened up and narrated her ordeal with the Accused.
“On 25th July, 2018, the Complainant lodged a formal complaint at the Tesano Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and a police medical form was issued for examination of the Victim”, he added.
The Prosecutor narrated that the Accused was subsequently arrested and he admitted the offence, saying that he and the Victim had consensual sex, and that was the only occasion they had sex.
Source: GhanaJustice/F.Kyeremateng
