A 29-year-old unemployed has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in hard labour by a Kumasi Circuit Court for defilement.
Yaw Addo, a married man, pleaded guilty to defiling a 12-year old school pupil.
Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei told the Court presided over by Mr. Justice Emmanuel Amoh-Yartey that both the victim and the convict were neighbours at Santasi-Kegyase in Kumasi.
The young girl, who is in primary three, lives with the parents and sells kerosene after school. Chief Inspector Baffuor-Kyei said on September 25, at about 1900 hours, the girl was returning home after her routine when Addo called her to his house to buy a bottle of kerosene. He tricked her to come for the money the next day, which she agreed.
As the victim left for her house, the convict lied to the wife that he was attending to nature's call and followed her. Chief Inspector affuor-Kyei said Addo grabbed the girl and pulled her into a garden where he sexually abused her, after which he paid for the kerosene and drove her away.
Afraid that she would be punished by the parents, she kept her ordeal to herself but collapsed the next day in school.
Chief Inspector Baffour-Kyei said when she was questioned by the headmistress, she told her everything. She said the headmistress in turn informed the girl's father and a formal complaint was made to the police.