The Tarkwa circuit court has sentenced a farmer to 17 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling a 12-year-old girl on a farm at Juabeng, near Bogoso, in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
Isaac Lare, 21, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of defilement, was found guilty by the court, presided by Mrs Hathie Ama Manu after trial.
Prosecuting Superintendent of Police Juliana Essel-Dadzie said the complainant in the case is a 40-year-old farmer and father of the victim, a primary five pupil and resides with the convict at Juabeng and both were neighbours.
The court heard that in December 2021, at about 1500 hours, Isaac’s aunt one Sambiru sent him to harvest cassava at her farm at Kokofu in Juabeng and the victim agreed to accompany him.
Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said while on the farm, Isaac pounced on the victim, pushed her on the ground and had sexual intercourse with her, after satisfying himself, he warned the victim not to disclose what happened to anyone, else she would die.
Prosecution said out of fear, the victim never informed anyone about the act, but her parents noticed she was always ill.
She said on September 9, 2022, victim fell sick again and she was taken to the Wassa Akropong Government hospital for treatment revealed to the nurses who attended to her at the facility that Isaac had sex with her.
The prosecutor said Isaac left the village after committing the crime, but he was contacted on the phone and asked to return to the village so they could have the matter resolved.
Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said Isaac came to the village and on October 11, 2022, he was handed over to the police in Bogoso and during interrogation, he admitted the offence in his caution statement.
GNA
