A 37-year-old farmer who allegedly had sex with his three stepdaughters and attempted to abort the pregnancy of one of them has been arrested by the Twifo Damang Police.

The police said Abraham Tetteh a resident of Mbaa Mpe Hia Number Two, a suburb of Twifo Damang, near Twifo Praso, was being investigated on four charges, namely, incest, abortion, defilement and seduction.

He is alleged to have had sexual intercourse with the stepdaughters, aged 20, 18 and 16, in their house and sometimes in the bush on many occasions.

In the course of the sexual acts, he is said to have got the 16-year-old stepdaughter pregnant and administered a drug to abort the pregnancy.

Summon

The elders of the village, on getting wind of the amorous affairs, which are considered a taboo in the community,  summoned Tetteh to the Twifo Damang Palace for interrogation.

When he admitted the offence, the elders called in the police to arrest him.

The Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Irene Oppong, said the police were investigating the case.

She said the suspect had been detained, while the victims had been issued with police medical report forms to attend hospital.

What the law says

Section 105 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act on incest says: “A male of sixteen years or over who has carnal knowledge of a female whom he knows to be his granddaughter, daughter, sister, mother or grandmother commits an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than twenty-five years.”

Section 58 (b) (1) of the act says: “Any person who administers to a woman any poison, drug or other noxious thing or uses any instrument or any other means whatsoever with the intent to cause abortion or miscarriage, whether or not the woman is pregnant or has given her consent.”

On defilement, the Criminal Offences Act says: “Whoever naturally or unnaturally carnally knows any child under sixteen years of age, whether with or without his or her consent” can be charged with defilement and adds that whoever commits that offence shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not more than 25 years.

With regard to seduction, the act says: “Whoever, having the custody, charge or care of a child under the age of sixteen years, causes or encourages the seduction, carnal knowledge or unnatural carnal knowledge, prostitution or commission of indecent assault upon the child shall be guilty of a misdemeanour.”