The Human Rights Advocacy Center (HRAC) on Friday described the judgment in the case the Republic verses Nana Kofi Yirenkyi ‘Jesus One Touch’, as a positive step in ensuring that the rights of all children are protected in Ghana.
“We believe that this case is an example of the ability of the criminal justice system to punish perpetrators of sexual abuse of children, no matter their age, sex or social affiliation,” a statement signed by Nana Oye Lithur, the HRAC Executive Director, said.
The statement said: “We hope that persons who sexually abuse children are punished by our law courts to serve act as a deterrent for other like minded persons in the community who continue to defile and rape our girls and boys”.
The HRAC also congratulated DOVVSU of the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General’s Department for a good work done and urged them to strengthen the protection of girls against defilement.
"The wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine..." the HRAC statement said.
Nana Kofi Yirenkyi, Founder and General Overseer of the Jesus Blood Prophetic Ministry at Oblogo in Accra, was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment each on two counts of incest and defilement by an Accra Circuit Court.
The sentences, however, are to run concurrently.
This was after the court presided over by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa, after an 11-month trial, found Yirenkyi, 47, guilty.
The prosecution said he defiled his 10-year-old daughter, one of his six children.
The court noted that the prosecution had been able to prove all the essential elements of the charges hence handed down the sentence.