A Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced a 30-year-old farmer, Kwasi Zachari alias Halidu to 20 years’ imprisonment in hard labour for defiling a 13-year-old girl who has speech impairment.  

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 resides 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, in the process 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 direction, so she quickly left the funeral grounds to look for the victim.  

The prosecution said while the complainant was scouting for the victim with the help of her sister and the two children when they chanced upon Zachari where 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 the victim, and 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.