A 43-year-old unemployed man who defiled his eight-year-old step daughter at Ofankor, a suburb of Accra, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court.

Kwaw Emerleh Agovi charged with defilement pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs. Christina Cann at the end of the trial, however found Agovi guilty and sentenced him accordingly.

The court in sentencing Agovi, said it took into consideration the seriousness of the offence, its prevalence, revulsion felt by the law and age of the victim.

According to the court, it also considered the relationship between the victim and the accused and the trauma that the victim was going through.

Prosecuting Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said the complainant aged 18 years is the biological daughter of the Agovi, now convict.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said the complainant, victim and Agovi reside in a three-bed room self-contained apartment.

According to prosecution, the complainant and the victim had their respective rooms and mother of the victim and Agovi also had their room.

According to prosecution, Agovi has been sneaking into the victim’s room whenever she (victim) was alone in her room and Agovi also had sex with the victim.
Prosecution said the sexual act, became unbearable for the victim.

On April 24, this year, at about 5:00am, Prosecution said the complainant saw the victim crying and she enquired from her.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said the victim confided in the complainant and informed her that Agovi had been having sexual intercourse with her.

Prosecution said the complainant consoled her and decided to monitor Agovi her father to ascertain the truth or otherwise.

According to prosecution, the complainant noticed that her father had been sneaking into the victim’s room at night.

On April 29, this year, Prosecution said at about 12:00 midnight, Agovi as usual entered the victim’s room, undressed himself and the victim and the complainant barged into the room and caught Agovi in the act.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said Agovi threatened to kill the complainant if she dared inform anyone or reported to the Police.

Prosecution said for fear of her life, the complainant left home and on May 12, this year, she reported the incident to the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service at Tesano and Agovi was picked up.

Prosecution said following the issuance of a medical report form, the victim was examined medically and a report was submitted on her.