Farmer who defiled 13-year-old girl jailed 20 years 

A Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced a 30-year-old farmer, Kwasi Zachari alias Halidu, to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 13-year-old girl who is deaf and unable to speak.  

He pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement and was convicted on his own plea and handed this jail term accordingly by the court presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu.  

Prosecution, led by Police Chief Inspector Abraham Ayitey, said the complainant, who is a trader and mother of the victim, resided at Wassa Bawdie Adonnoi in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality with the victim and Zachari.  

On December 17, 2024, at about 0730 hours, the complainant left the victim in the house for a funeral service in the community.  

He said Zachari, who was then returning from his landlord’s house, met the victim and engaged her in conversation by using sign language. He lured her into an abandoned sawmill shop on the outskirts of the town and had sexual intercourse with her.  

Chief Inspector Ayitey said after the act, Zachari gave the victim GH¢1.50p and took her back to the house.  

The court heard that the complainant was later informed by two children in the community aged between five and six years respectively that they saw the victim following Zachari towards the abandoned sawmill shop, so she quickly left the funeral grounds to look for the victim.  

Prosecution said while the complainant was scouting for the victim with the help of her sister and the two children, they chanced on Zachari and the children pointed him out to the complainant as the one they saw with the victim.  

He said the complainant, assisted by her sister, held Zachari and demanded for the victim, where he confessed to them that he had sex with the victim in the abandoned sawmill shop.  

He said they arrested Zachari, took him to the Bawdie Police Station and reported the incident to the officers on duty.  

Zachari was re-arrested and detained to assist in investigations, while a police medical report form was issued to the complainant to send the victim to the hospital for examination, treatment and report.