Rapist infects girl, 13, WITH AIDS

A TECHIMAN Circuit Tribunal has imposed the maximum sentence of 25 years with hard labour on a 38-year-old lotto receiver for infecting a teenager he defiled with the AIDS virus.

Stephen Amankwaa, the convict, defiled his 13-year-old sister-in-law at Wangara Line, a suburb of Techiman. The girl, a primary six pupil, has developed full blown AIDS, according to the medical report tendered by the prosecution in court. Amankwaa earlier denied having sex with the girl but confessed after the court ordered that he should be tested for HIV.

Before passing sentence, the tribunal Chairman, Mr. Nicholas Abodakpi described Amakwaa as a wicked man who is not fit to live among human beings. He said by infecting the innocent girl with the deadly disease, he has denied the girl?s family and the nation of a valuable human asset. The tribunal chairman expressed the hope that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others who have made it their business to defile innocent children.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Supt. K. Asafo-Adjei told the court that the girl lived with her sister, who is also Amankwaa?s wife, at Wangara Line, a suburb of Techiman. He said for about one year now, the girl has been experiencing persistent health problems. Her health problem worsened about a month ago as she started growing lean and also experience the discharge of some whitish substance from her sexual organ.

Mr. Asafo-Adjei said the victim?s sisters sent her to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital where upon thorough investigations, doctors declared her to be carrying the dreaded AIDS. Upon questioning, the girl mentioned Amankwaa as the person who had sex with her a little over a year ago. She said Amankwaa took advantage of the absence of his wife from the house to have sex with her. When Amankwaa was arrested and put before court, he initially denied the charge but after testing HIV-positive, he confessed his guilt and pleaded for forgiveness, blaming the devil for what happened