The Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced a 22-year-old taxi driver, Godgift Acquah, alias Kwame Atta, to 25 years in prison with hard labour for defiling his fiancée’s sister.

He pleaded guilty to the offence of defilement and prayed to the court for forgiveness.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Joyce Odame, prosecuting, said the complainant was a farmer and lived in Prestea, and the victim, her niece, is 14 years old.

She said the convict and the victim’s elder sister were in a relationship and both shared the same room in Himan, in the Western Region.

ASP Odame said, in November 2024, at about 11:00 pm, the victim’s sister, who attended a programme within their neighbourhood, left Acquah and the victim at home.

Prosecution said that while the victim was asleep, Acquah covered her mouth with a pillow to prevent her from screaming and forcibly had unprotected sexual intercourse with her.

During the act, the victim bled on the bed sheet, and Acquah convinced her to wash it, and she obliged to cover up his evil deed.

She said on February 21, 2025, at about 8:30 pm, Acquah purchased an emergency contraceptive drug called postinor 2, and convinced the victim to take the pill to prevent pregnancy.

The prosecutor said the victim showed the drug to her brother and narrated what Acquah did to her.

ASP Odame said the victim’s brother became upset, got rid of the drug, and arrested Acquah to the Prestea police station with the assistance of some neighbours.

The victim’s brother, together with the complainant, reported the incident to the police, where a medical form was issued to the complainant to send the victim to the hospital.

The prosecutor said the victim was examined and the form was endorsed by a medical officer, indicating that she had been defiled.

ASP Odame told the court that further investigation conducted by the police revealed that Acquah had been living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and usually go to the hospital for his medication.

Before delivering the judgement, Mrs Manu, the Circuit Court Judge, sat down quietly for a few minutes and observing Acquah intently said, “You have sentenced the victim to a lifetime of misery. Your kind is not needed in the community, so you will be given a deterrent sentence to discourage others from committing similar offenses”.