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Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Source: GNA

Court discharges accused over age of defiled victim

Accra, Aug. 31, GNA - A 26-year-old mason, Nana Ohene Boamah, who sent audience at an Accra Circuit Court, laughing when he admitted defiling a 14-year-old girl in a room and not in the kitchen, has been freed.

This was after a medical report signed by Dr A.A. Yeboah of the Radiology Department of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital had indicated that the victim was above 17 years.

The prosecution said after Boamah had been remanded by the court at its last sitting, the Police submitted the medical report to the hospital to ascertain the age of the victim and the report by Dr Yeboah indicated that victim was above 17 years.

The prosecution earlier gave victim's age to be 14 years, and based on the report, withdrew the charge and the court disposed off the matter and discharged the accused.

At the court's sitting on August 17, this year, accused pleaded guilty, and was remanded into police custody but deferred sentence to August 31 based on the prosecution's plea that the case was still under investigation.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sarah Acquah told the court that the victim was a class five pupil and resided at Dansoman while accused lived at Mataheko.

The prosecution said the accused was a friend to the victim's uncle and had been visiting the house.

ASP Acquah said that in June this year, prosecution said the accused went to the victim's house and met her alone in the house.

The prosecution said that Boamah lured the victim into her uncle's kitchen and defiled her.

ASP Acquah said the victim kept the ordeal to herself until her uncle, the complainant, detected that she was pregnant and the victim let the cat out of the bag.

A report was lodged at the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service at Dansoman where a medical form was issued to the victim for examination and Boamah was arrested.