"I want to shave you"

It was a plot, which a 14-year-old girl never expected to be hatched against her by her own biological father. The girl, who had gone to spend the Yuletide with her father, was subjected to serious sexual molestations, which robbed her of her virginity and left her with a psychological wound that may never heal.

Her father, Emmanuel Nunoo, aka Emmanuel Asuman, 42, driver, asked to inspect her armpits. After this inspection, he told her that since it was bushy, he was sure it was same with her public hair.

He therefore insisted on shaving her but the young girl refused. He made the request again the following day and the girl told him she had already shaved. Her answer infuriated Nunoo so much that he ordered her to strip to ascertain the truth. The young girl obeyed her father and, in the process, he forcibly had sex with her.

On December 17, Nunoo hatched another plan and had his way with his daughter again. Obviously not satisfied he insisted on a second round. When the girl refused, he threatened her with a knife.

The screams of the girl attracted cotenants in the house who came to her aid and sent Nunoo to the police. Nunoo is currently on police remand and will be put before court on Monday, January 14, charged with incest.

According to Inspector M.K. Owusu-Anaman of the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Ghana Police Service, the victim, who is a pupil in a school in Accra, lives with her mother, a trader, at Dome, near Accra.

The victim, whose parents separated when she was six years, occasionally pays visits to her father at his residence at Ayigbe Town, also in Accra.

Inspector Owusu-Anaman said somewhere last month, the victim went to her father to spend the holidays. In the course of the visit, the victim had her period and informed one Esi, a cotenant about it.

He said Esi advised her to tell her father about it so that he gives her money to buy sanitary pad. But when the victim informed Nunoo, he told her he would only comply if she showed him her menses.

The victim refused so Nunoo did not give her the money for the pad and Esi gave her some.

One night, after the victim's period had stopped, Nunoo returned from work and told her he would shave her pubic hair because since her armpits were bushy, he suspects her public hair would be same. The victim, however, refused to allow her father to shave her.

When Nunoo returned home the following day, he again asked to shave the victim but she told him she had already shaved. Nunoo became angry and asked her to remove her underwear to enable him ascertain the truth. She did as her father asked and in the process he forcibly had sex with her.

The confused girl confided in Esi the next day who told her it would be difficult for anyone to believe her story but she is sure Nunoo will not stop there but will make another attempt and when he does, she should scream and the co-tenants will come in and catch him red-handed.

So on December 17, just before mid-night, Nunoo woke the victim up and accused her of having sex with someone since her body reeks of sex. The victim denied it but Nunoo insisted she was telling lies and that he can only find out the truth by inspecting her private parts.

Nunoo therefore forced the victim to strip naked and he also did same. He then told the victim he cannot be too sure by just looking so he will have to do the inspection with his manhood.

Inspector Owusu-Anaman said Nunoo thus had sex with his daughter. He subsequently asked for a second round, which the victim refused.

When Nunoo realized the victim was adamant to give in to his request, he threatened her with a knife. This frightened the victim who started screaming "Papa me pa wo kyew" which literally means "Father, I beg you."

Her screams attracted the attention of the co-tenants who rushed and forced open the door to Nunoo’s room. He was found naked lying on top of his daughter with a knife in his hand.

When interrogated by his co-tenants, Nunoo admitted having had sex with his daughter and pleaded with them to be lenient with him.