Two tricycle riders who conspired and defiled a Junior High School pupil aged 15 have been sentenced to a total of 38 years imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court.
Joseph Damah alias Abodie, 22 and Kwaku Acheampong alias Y2K, 27, who were charged with conspiracy and defilement, pleaded guilty and the presiding judge, Mrs Hathia Ama Manu convicted them accordingly.
Damah would serve 20 years, while his counterpart was also given 18 years. A search is ongoing to apprehend the third accused person, Mensah Antwi, alias Gasmiler, who is on the run.
Superintendent Juliana Essel-Dadzie, prosecuting, said the complainant was a trader and daughter of the victim, lived at Chapel Square, while Damah, Acheampong and Mensah lived at Ayensukrom No. 2, Alignment and Akokobediaburo all in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
On Friday December 1, 2023, at about 1800 hours, complainant sent the victim to fetch water for her from a nearby house, overstayed and when she came back the complainant threatened to beat her.
The prosecutor said the victim, out of fear, left the house and did not return, and so on December 5, 2023, the complainant reported a case of her missing daughter at the Bogoso Police station.
She said the Police extract was prepared and handed over to the complainant to be sent to the various radio stations within Bogoso for announcement to be made to help locate the whereabouts of the victim.
Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said the Police commenced its investigation and immediately gathered that on December 1, 2023, at about 11:00 pm, Damah was riding a tricycle with Acheampong on board.
She said when the two arrived at Bogoso Prestea junction, the victim saw the tricycle rode by Damah signalling him to stop because she knew him to be her mother’s customer who usually transported her from the shop and home after the day’s work.
The prosecutor said Damah picked the victim in his tricycle and together with Acheampong, they went on errands with the victim in Bogoso township and at a point Acheampong alighted.
Damah then took the victim to Golden Star school premises, at Bogoso and had sexual intercourse with her, after which he sent the victim to Mensah’s room at Akokobediaburo and had sex with the victim again.
Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said after Damah had satisfied himself, he called Mensah, who was loitering around, and he also came and assaulted the victim sexually.
The court heard that Damah and Mensah kept the victim in their room for three days and on December 4, 2023, at about 4:00 am, Damah took the victim to Acheampong’s room at Alignment, and they had discussions for hours.
Damah left the room and Acheampong started fondling the victim’s breast in the process, had sex with her, and after the act he bought food for the victim, locked her in the room and left.
Prosecution said Acheampong kept the victim in his room for another three days, but on December 6 at about 10:00 pm police had a tip-off that the victim was with him.
On the same day, the complainant saw Acheampong in Bogoso township and with the assistance of some residents they traced him to his house, apprehended him and rescued the victim who was handed over to the Police, in Bogoso.
According to Superintendent Essel-Dadzie, when the victim was quizzed, she told the Police that Acheampong and his accomplices had sexual intercourse with her multiple times in their respective rooms.
The prosecution said the complainant was given a medical report form to seek medical care for the victim and she returned the form duly endorsed by the medical officer at the Bogoso Government Hospital.
She informed the court that Acheampong in his caution statement mentioned Damah as the one who brought the victim to him, and he was arrested.
Damah also mentioned Mensah as having also had sex with the victim, but he absconded on hearing the news.
Investigation is still ongoing to have him nabbed for prosecution.
Source: GNA
