77-Year-Old Man Impregnates 14-Year-Old Girl

Amos Asante, a 77-year-old retired clerk, has been dragged to an Accra Circuit Court after he was accused of defiling a 14-year-old girl with whom he has fathered a baby boy...

The accused looked astounded as the case was called in a court presided over by Mrs. Georgina Mensah-Datsa, but he quickly pleaded not guilty to the offence of defiling a girl below 16 years.

The judge has, on the submission of George Assamaney, counsel for the old man, ordered a DNA test to ascertain whether or not the retired clerk indeed fathered the child.

Mr. Assamaney said his client was surprised at the allegation levelled against him and would like a DNA test to be conducted before the trial resumed.

Mrs. Datsa, however, declined defence counsel’s application for bail and had the accused person remanded in police custody while the case was adjourned.

Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecuting officer, ASP Sarah Ekua Acquah, told the court that the complainant, Ofori Badu, is the father of the victim and a trader who lives at Kasoa, while the 14-year-old victim currently lives with her grandmother at Asiakwa in the Eastern Region.

She said the accused person is a retired clerk and lives at Mallam, adding that the wife of the accused person is related to the complainant.

According to her, the 14-year-old stayed with the accused person and his family for two-and- a-half years.

The prosecutor noted that in 2010, the accused person had sexual intercourse with the victim and warned her not to tell anybody. The warning scared her and so she kept the matter to herself.

Furthermore, she said the victim later got pregnant and when questioned, she mentioned the name of the retired clerk as the one who impregnated her.

In addition, she noted that the victim gave birth to a baby boy on July 12, 2011 and a report was subsequently made to the police at Odorkor. The accused was consequently arrested and the case transferred to the Police Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit, Greater Accra Region, and the accused arraigned after police investigations.

What is this world turning  to?