A 25-year-old student was on Wednesday sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by a Circuit Court in Accra for defiling a 10-year-old pupil.
Kingsley Edem Bedzrah, who was charged with defilement, pleaded not guilty.
However, at the end of the trial, the court presided over by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datse found him guilty and convicted him accordingly.
The court noted that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court said the sentence was to deter others from engaging in similar acts, adding that the offence had become rampant.
The prosecutor, Police Inspector I.A.A. Ahor, told the court that the victim and Bedzrah lived in the same vicinity at Burma Camp in Accra.
Inspector Ahor said at about 1930 hours on May 18, 2010, the victim’s mother sent her to buy cooked rice from Battalion Market.
While returning, Bedzrah saw her and called her. He held her hand and they both walked to a house next to where Bedzrah was staying.
According to the prosecutor, there was no light on the compound and Bedzrah took advantage of the darkness and had sex with her on the floor.
At about 0500 hours the following morning, when the victim’s mother went to wake her up to prepare for school, she narrated the ordeal to her.
Inspector Ahor said a report was lodged with the Police who arrested Bedzrah.