Man jailed 15 years for defiling girl in church

A 27-year-old man, who had sex with a 14-year-old girl in a church at Sowutuom, Accra, has been sen­tenced to 15 years imprisonment.

Appearing before the Gen­der-Based Violence Court at the Police Headquarters, Accra, Enoch Mensah, pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement.

The court convicted Mensah on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly.

Apart from the church prem­ises, Mensah is said to have de­filed the victim on four separate occasions in the complainant’s house.

Detective Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyei prayed the court to hand down a deterrent sentence, because the victim innocently followed Mensah, who

 sought her assistance, but defiled her.

The prosecution recounted the increasing number of defile­ment cases, and prayed the court to impose a harsh sentence on accused to serve as a deterrent to like-minded persons.

The case of the prosecution is that the complainant a trader, residing at Apotro near, Sowutu­om in Accra, is the mother of the victim.

Chief Insp Aniagyei said Mensah, a driver, also resided in the same vicinity.

The prosecution said the victim went to the church (name withheld) at Nsumfa, near Sow­utuom, in Accra, to help accused clean the church.

Chief Insp Aniagyei said Mensah locked the door to the church, took the victim to one of church offices and had “unpro­tected sexual intercourse” with her a table and warned her not to tell anyone about the matter.

The prosecution said Mensah again had sexual intercourse with the girl on four occasions in the complainant’s house.

Chief Insp Aniagyei said the complainant noticed changes in the victim and quizzed her.

The prosecution said the vic­tim told the mother that Mensah had sexual intercourse with her.

Chief Insp Aniagyei said when the complainant reported the matter to the police, and a police medical form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.

The prosecution told the court that Mensah was arrest­ed when the police received an endorsed medical form.

Chief Insp Aniagyei said Mensah in his caution statement, admitted the offence. —GNA