79-year-old rape victim dies

The 79 year old bedridden woman who was allegedly raped by an 87-year-old man at Aburi in the Eastern Region has died.

This came to light when the case was called at an Accra high court presided over by Justice A.K. Okwabi.

Kofi Aduobi, who is accused of raping the victim, is reportedly growing weaker daily and going blind in the custody of the police in Koforidua, regional capital, Baffoe Bonney, counsel for Aduobi told the court.

“At first he could identify you but now when you get there he would ask who you are, defence counsel said.

Aduobi was originally arrested and kept at the Mamfe police station. He was later transferred to Koforidua and placed in custody.

The court has therefore ordered the police to rush him to the Police Hospital in Koforidua for medical attention.

Due to the strike action embarked upon by state attorneys over their conditions of service last week, Dominic Bamako, Senior Attorney, who represented the state, did not turn up.

The case has therefore been adjourned to July 17. Kofi Aduobi, unemployed, has filed a motion for bail pending trial, saying his continuous incarceration was having a serious implication on his health.

Adoubi is contending that on May 23 this year, he was arraigned at a magistrate court at Aburi after he had been kept in police custody for over five days without being brought to a court of competent jurisdiction.

He said an application for bail made before a magistrate court was declined in the initial stages of his incarceration and that, the police had been sending him to the hospital.

According to Adoubi’s motion, he was unable to eat properly at the cells and that he has hearing impairment.

Defence counsel admitted that though the offence under which his client had been charged was non-bailable, considering the circumstance of the case, he could be admitted to bail.

The facts as produced by the police are that Adoubi is a native of Aburi Akuapim in the Eastern Region and he currently resides there.

According to the police, the complainants are the children of the victim.

Police say the victim had been bedridden for some time now and that, on May 23, this year, at about 1400 hours, the complainants returned from town and entered the victim’s room only to see Adoubi busily having sex with the old lady.

The complainants assaulted the old man and handed him over to the police.