Sunyani, April 07, GNA – The Sunyani High Court on Thursday reduced the jail term from eight to seven years imprisonment for defiling a girl, six at ‘SS’, a suburb at Dormaa- Ahenkro, Dormaa Central Municipality of Bono Region.
The convict, Justice Oppong Yeboah, aged 22 had earlier been convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment by a Circuit Court at Dormaa-Ahenkro, presided over by Mr Frank Aboagye Rockson on December 05, 2018.
But the court presided over by Justice Gabriel Mate-Teye on appeal, reduced the sentence to seven years being the minimum punishment for the offence of defilement.
Mr Samuel Nyamekye Vasco, the Bono East Acting Regional Director of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the defence counsel pleaded with the Court to reduce the convict’s previous sentence, explaining that the convict was not mentally sound when he committed the offence.
Before the verdict, the Court recounted the incident, saying on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, the victim was sent by her mother to collect money from her father within the same area ‘SS’ and on the way met the convict who gave her GH1C1.00 to buy bread for him.
The prosecution at the time said when the victim returned with the bread, the convict gave her part of it and dragged her to a nearby bush, adding that, the convict covered the victim’s mouth with his hand and raped her.
According to the prosecution the complainant, a trader heard the scream of the victim and went close to see what was happening, but the convict saw the complainant and fled.
The prosecution said unfortunately for the convict some members of the community chased and subsequently arrested and handed him over to the Police at Dormaa-Ahenkro.
The prosecution said the Police accompanied the victim and her parents to the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital for medical examination, where it was confirmed that the victim’s hymen had been broken and the convict was then charged accordingly.
GNA
NOK/ENA