The Jasikan Circuit Court has sentenced two men to seven years' imprisonment each for the defilement of a 15-year-old girl in a case that exposes alarming trends in sexual violence and exploitation in Ghana's rural communities.

The judge delivered the verdict on May 23, 2025, after finding the two men guilty of the crime against the minor.

The convicts, Joseph Boateng alias Afriyie or Small Pepper, 37, and Hashiru Zurukanini alias Scare Them, 27, were arrested by police in Kadjebi for abetment of defilement and defilement, respectively, at their hideout in Kadjebi on May 22, 2025.

This was after the police received a report on the same day that Joseph Boateng accosted a 15-year-old girl who was returning home after fetching water. The suspect promised to charm GHC 2000.00 for her.

Thereafter, the suspect lured the victim to his house at Kadjebi Cocoa Market and made the suspect, Hashiru Zurukanini, a driver, have sexual intercourse with her under the pretext of using Hashiru Zurukanini's sperm for the charm.

The two were arraigned the next day at the Jasikan Circuit Court and were convicted and sentenced, each to seven years' imprisonment in hard labour for the offences against them.

The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit [DOVVSU] of the Ghana Police Service recorded 1,438 defilement cases in the first quarter of 2024.

This case highlights both progress in judicial responsiveness and the urgent need for systemic reforms to protect Ghana's children from sexual predators exploiting cultural vulnerabilities.