A Kumasi Circuit Court, has sentenced to 18 years imprisonment in hard labour, a 26-year-old man, Akwasi Kankam, for defiling a six year-old girl. He pleaded not guilty. Giving the facts of the case, Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei, told the court presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that the victim and the accused resided at Kaase in Kumasi. On June One, this year, at about 1900 hours, the accused lured his victim into a nearby bush when she was playing with her friends and defiled her. In the course of the act, the girl’s wailing attracted her mother to the scene and she called for assistance, leading to the arrest of the accused. Kankam, in his caution statement, however, denied the offence when he was handed over to the Police and stated that, he was on his way to nature’s call when the victim followed him asking for money. A police medical form was, therefore, issued for the victim to be taken to the hospital. The form was returned duly endorsed by a medical doctor of the Kumasi South Hospital confirming defilement. Based on the report, Kankam was prosecuted. Source: GNA