By Justice Sarpong

Is Ghana becoming a nation of criminals and a paradise for Paedophiles and Rapists? As a nation, we take pride in ourselves as Christians, Moslems, Atheist and Agnostics believe our morality is unparalled in Africa, but I think such belief is a fascade and we hide behind this moral relativism to commit heinous crimes on our vulnerable women and young girls. Not a day goes by that we don't read in this forum of Priests having amorous relationships with their congregants and in some cases, 'crasslessly' engaing in hocus pocus to adumbrate the women and girls congregants to satisfy their salacious interest. No Priest of God ALMIGHTY has any business mixing concoctions and inserting it into the Private parts of women to cure them of bareness,  and two cases like this was reported in Ghanaian newspapers last week.

An article that appeared in this forum on 8/24/09 brought the worst in our menfolks and people that should have known better. A fourteen year old homeless girl needing shelter was taking advantage of by one Imorro Issaka, a 50 year old " GOOD SAMARITAN" at a suburb in KUMASI. The NO NONSENSE Judge gave this man 300 months prison sentence and this didn't sit well with some contributors  in this forum who were incensed because they thought that was too much sentence for "just raping a 14 year old homeless girl". Below are some of the contributors take on that case, and if this is how majority of Ghanaian men think, then we have a majot social problem on our hands.

THIS KIND OF SENTENCE SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR PROPLE WHO DEFILE TODLERS, NOT 14 YR OLDS. IN MANY AREAS OF GHANA 14 YR OLDS GET MARRIED. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT HERE THERE IS NO PARENTAL CONSENT. THE GIRL PROBABLY WASN'T EVEN A VIRGIN B4 MEETING THIS GUY

---NORTHERN BOY---

"Agreed!! You are right on the money!!" -----ANARCHIST-----

"Well said. Welcome to the logical school of thought." ---GOOD CITIZEN----

"She may even be more that the year the quoted because I believe she has no birth certificate and for police to make their case they will reduce the age of the girl.

How did they know this homeless girl was 14?" -------CORNEY----

"It is logic that in Ghana we should start investigating well before charging people with rape,I'm not in support of rape as Sarpong wants people to believe." -------CORNEY-----

CORNEY wants to continue investigating even when the culprit has admitted his guilt.

"Come to think of it, Moro did a good job for accepting this homeless girl. Had Moro not accepted this girl in,what would have been her plight?Probably worse than her present predicament." ---TROUBLE-MAKER-----

"TROUBLE-MAKER,don't waste your time on this Aba girl who like many other Ghanaian girls who are raped everyday in their own homes but do not know that they are being raped only to come out here to write trash pretending they know what is rape." -----CORNEY---

To CORNEY and TROUBLE-MAKER, as long as you pick homeless people into your house, it is ok to have sex with them because you've acted as a Good Samaritan and should have something as a reward. What happened to our Christian ethoes about having our reward in heaven when we help the needy?

Come to think of it, some of these men were the same people that praised the Judge that sentenced another Rapist, one Adgei-Bawua to thirty years in imprisonment for publicly raping a 19 year old he kidnapped at a Neoplan Bus station. Why then the complete reversal in their posts? Was it the names of the accused persons that fuelled the difference in opinion?

Read any Ghanaian newspaper, at least once a week, you would find a story of a father molesting his daughter and having a baby with or men molesting little girls. What kind of morality do we have that is superior than Europeans and Americans when a man can grab a 19 year old in broad daylight and publicly had sex with when others stoodby and watched? We Ghanaians keep deceiving ourselves with vain glory about our morality. Our moral hypocrisy of denigrating the west as the cause of moral breakdown in Ghana is unfounded.

The incestuous and child raping that seems to be on the ascendency in Ghana is embedded in some cultures among some tribes in Ghana where having sex with 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 year old girls is not frown upon. Our own Majority leader in Parliament, Alba Bagbin raped a sister in law who was said to be a 13 or 17 year old, and when he was confronted, hid behind an archaic culture of his Dargarti clan that allow such a relationship and this is a man who is a Catholic by religion. A cursory look at contributors who defend rapists and child molesters in this forum follows one trend, most of these people come from cultures that don't see anything wrong with having sex with relatives and children.

In just two months span, more than six cases on incestuous relationships or child rape cases were reported.

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Man defiles and infects daughter with HIV

Tema, July 23, GNA - A circuit court "B" in Tema, has sentenced, a 39-year-old mason, who defiled and infected his six-year-old daughter with HIV, to 18 years imprisonment in hard labour. Victor Kwabla Agboko alias jujuman, pleaded not guilty to two counts of defilement and incest but was sentenced to 18 years and 15 years for defilement and incest. The sentences run concurrently. Chief Inspector Evelyn Susuawu told the court presided over by Mrs. Ananda Aikins that the girl resides with her aunt, the complainant at Bankuman while Agboko stays at Awudum, all suburbs of Tema Manhean. Prosecution said that Agboko went for the victim from the aunt's place at about 1500 hours on 31 July last year to spend some days with him.

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Farmer defiles five-year-old

Dambai (V/R), May 6, GNA - Kofi Katus, 32, a farmer at Monkrati near Dambai in the Krachi East District of the Volta Region has been remanded in Police custody by an Nkwanta Magistrate Court for defiling a five-year-old Kindergarten pupil. Katus, whose plea was not taken, is co-operating with the Police in their investigations.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Douglas Kumah, told the court presided over by Mr Stephen Akortia, that Katus who lived in the same neighbourhood with the victim invited her to assist him set fire to cook after returning from the farm at about 1920 hours, on April 9. He said in the process Katus lured the victim into his room and forcibly had sex with her, gave her 10 pesewas and warned her that if she disclosed her ordeal she would die. Mr Kumah said the victim's father, who had become worried about her disappearance suddenly saw her emerge from outside visibly walking tiredly and disturbed.. She disclosed that "the suspect invited her to his room and inserted something into her private part." He said a cursory check revealed a blood soaked underwear prompting a report to the Police and the arrest of Katus.

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Friday, 15 May 200 Policeman rapes 13-year old pupil

Ho, May 15, GNA-A Ho Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Ernest Obimpeh on Friday remanded Lance Corporal Abdul Rahaman Issah of the Volta Regional Police Headquarters in Police custody for defiling a 13-year old pupil.. Issah's plea was not taken and would be brought back to Court on May 22, this year. Police Chief Inspector Peter Insiedu told the Court that the victim lives with her parents and siblings at Dome, a suburb of Ho. He said on Saturday, May 9 this year, Issah met the victim on her way back home from an errand and gave her a lift to her house and gave her his complimentary card for her to call him. Mr Insiedu said on Sunday May 10, Issah spotted the victim around the Ghana Telecom junction on her way to a barbering shop and engaged her in conversation. He said in the process, Issah took the victim to his house at the SSNIT Flats where he forcibly had sex with her resulting in blood stains on the bed sheet. The Prosecution said Issah asked the victim to wash the bed sheet which she did and he gave her two cedis. He said Issah hired a taxi and took the victim to the barbering shop and saw her halfway to her home. The Prosecution said the victim narrated her ordeal to her mother upon reaching home and a formal complaint was made to the Police leading to Issah's arrest. 15 May 09 Source: GNA _________________________________

Ho, May 13, GNA - Daniel Gadzeti, a carpenter, was sentenced to five years imprisonment by a Ho circuit court on Tuesday for being in an incestuous relationship with his 19-year-old daughter Mabel Gadzeti, a seamstress apprentice.

Mr Frank Owusu Afriyie, the presiding judge, deferred sentence on Mabel Gadzeti until after medical tests for pregnancy and sex related diseases. Mr Afriyie described the conduct of Gadzeti, a father of four, as "very irresponsible". Deputy Superintendent of Police Kwadwo Nkansah told the court that Gadzeti, who was staying at Nkonya-Ntumda, invited his daughter who was staying with her mother at Nkonya-Tayi to come over and stay with him. He said Gadzeti the n started having sexual intercourse with his daughter. Mr Nkansah said a friend of Gadzeti once visited him and saw him (Gadzeti) and his (Gadzeti's) daughter bathing together and asked him if he was having sexual relationship with her. He said Gadzeti took offence and reported the matter to the chief of Nkonya-Ntumda who summoned the friend before the traditional court which fined him to compensate Gadzeti because the friend had no evidence to support his case. About a year later Gadzeti confessed his incestuous relationship to his uncle, a catechist, and expressed his desire to perform customary rites to marry her and make her his second wife in addition to her mother.

He said Gadzeti's uncle informed the chief of the town and Gadzeti's wife and daughter were summoned before the chief and elders of the town. A fine was imposed on Gadzeti and his daughter which they paid. He said a few days later, information about their relationship got to the police leading to their arrest.Source: GNA

________________________________  General News of Friday, 3 July 2009 Man Jailed For Impregnating Daughter An Accra High Court has sentenced Mr Anthony Bleworda to five (5) years imprisonment for having sex with her daughter since she was 16 years old and fathering with her five children, three of whom have since died. Mr Bleworda admitted that he had a strong urge to sleep with his own 16-year-old daughter the first day he saw her after several year’s sojourn abroad. The daughter, identified as Matilda Bleworda, who is now in her mid twenties, is reported to have later developed mental health problems. Speaking to Peace FM and the Domestic Violence And Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Matilda disclosed that she willingly gave in to his father’s sexual advances the first day she saw him because her father enticed her with lots of money, but the subsequent encounters were all against her will. An earlier medical report had revealed that Matilda had indeed developed mental problems. She however stressed to Peace FM in an interview that she has now been completely cured. She added that she did not know in the beginning that Mr. Bleworda was her real father. She believed instead that her grandfather whom she had known since her infancy was. According to her she asked the father to stop sleeping with her but he refused, claiming she was married to him by virtue of their having children together. In an interview with Peacefmonline, the spokesperson for DOVVSU, Inspector Irene Oppong confirmed that Mr Bleworda has been sentenced for 5 years imprisonment. In answer to querries about why the seemingly minimal nature of the punishment, Inspector Oppong said the court took into account the girl’s admission that she was 16 years old when her father first slept with her and also that she consented to the act for which reason he couldn’t be charged with rape. _______________________________________________________________________-- Â

On August 21st 2009, this case was the talk of Ghana Radio stations, which was reported on myjoyonline but readers of Ghanaweb didn't have the opportunity to read about it. A 45 year old mason by name, Felix Tegbor was caught sleeping with his 19 year old daughter by his wife who is a step mother to this 19 year old . It was reported that, this man started having sex with his own daughter when the girl was sixteen, broke her virginity and subsequently had a child with her.

What kind of a devil would possess a father to break his own daughters virginity and have a child with her? We sanctimoniously pontificate our morality like Cardinals and piously try to attract the attention on non Christians about our moral relativism while we hide behind closed doors and molest our own like there is no tomorrow. Our pollyannaish attitude about our pious morality is unfounded and it is because of this attitude that makes it hard for Ghanaians to admit our moral shortcomings and always blaming other country nationals in Ghana for crimes that are mostly committed by Ghanaians.

I hope some contributors in this forum would not hijack this important issue of INCEST and RAPING OF CHILDREN as a chance to embark on lava flow of invectives to impuign our sanity with their puerile sophomoric ethnocentricism.

SARPONG JUSTICE

TEXAS, USA.