The Cape Coast Circuit Court 1 has sentenced a 63-year-old farmer, Joseph Begyina a.k.a Yaw Esson, to 10 years imprisonment for defiling a seven-year-old girl at Assin Breku Nyame-Bekyere in the Assin North District of the Central Region.
The convict pleaded guilty to the offence and was convicted accordingly.
According to the convict, the offense was borne out of the devil’s (Satan) manipulation and therefore pleaded with the presiding judge to have mercy.
Her Honour, Dorinda Smith Arthur, who presided over the case, said the 10 years jail term for the old man will serve as a caution to other perpetrators of similar crime.
According to the prosecution, the convict defiled the minor on four different occasions, of which two occurred in the victim’s father’s bedroom and two on the cocoa farm at Assin Breku Nyame-Bekyere.
Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Gilbert Abagna Ayongo, explained to the court that the survivor’s father who is a complainant in the case is a farmer and also sells local gin at Breku Nyamebekyere while the accused lives in a different village which is about 500 meters away from the complainant’s house.
And that on April 29, 2023, at about 3 pm, the convict went to buy local gin from the complainant and after being served, the complainant asked the victim to take care of the drinks while he works on his farm.
The prosecution continued that after working for about five minutes the father went back home to pick up something but met the absence of the victim behind the drinks which he shouted to call the survivor’s name.
The victim, upon hearing her name being called by her father, came out of the room, and as she was being questioned about what she was doing in the room, the convict was also seen coming out of the room zipping up his shorts.
The father became suspicious and rolled up the victim’s dress where it was discovered the victim is without pants.
The victim, when queried, confirmed the convict had had sexual intercourse with her and further confessed that, that was not the first time as it usually happens when the parents are away.
The father on hearing this rushed to the police station to lodge a complaint leading to the arrest of the convicted person.
In his caution statement, the accused admitted having had sexual intercourse with the victim once on a cocoa farm and the second attempt is when the father chanced on them.
A medical form was, thus, issued and the same was returned and after careful investigation, the accused person was charged with the offence to stand trial.
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