Defence calls for adjournment of Tichler's trial

Accra, Dec. 20 GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Thursday adjourned the trial of Thomas Allan Tichler, the 57-year-old Briton who is alleged to have fingered the three-year-old daughter of his Ghanaian host to January 2008.

The postponement of the trial was at the request of the Defence team who stated that the deferment of the case was in the interest of their client.

Thomas Alan Tichler, a Consultant has been charged with causing harm and indecent assault to the victim. The suspect has been additionally charged with defilement.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The facts of the case are that Tichler visited the victim's father at North Legon, near the Redco Flats on October 13, 2007. The victim's father left the victim and her two siblings in the care of Tichler to purchase some items from town.

Tichler decided to play with the victim and her two siblings, aged eight and six, in the living room but he later managed to get the victim alone and proceeded to insert his fingers into her genitals. Not long after, the victim's mother arrived from town and just as she entered the kitchen, Tichler followed her and requested for water to wash his hands.

Later, the victim went to her mother and said she wanted to urinate and while helping her, the mother noticed bloodstains in the victim's panties.

The victim mentioned the accused person as the one who inserted his fingers into her genitals when her mother questioned her.