A 47-year-old driver, Joseph Yankson, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by the Gender-Based Court at the Police Headquarters for sexually abusing his 13-year-old stepdaughter in Tetegu, Accra.
Yankson took advantage of the victim’s mother’s absence and committed the act twice, promising to appease the family with a sheep after the first incident.
Charged with defilement, Yankson pleaded guilty, leading to his conviction by the court presided over by Dora Eshun Inkumasah. Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyie, representing Chief Inspector Simon Tekpor, stated that the complainant, a teacher and friend of the victim’s mother, reported the incident.
The court heard that the accused, now a convict, was the stepfather of the victim, and they lived together in Tetegu. In 2023, the victim’s mother left for Ajumako in the Central Region, leaving the children in the care of Yankson.
Taking advantage of the situation, Yankson engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim. Upon the victim’s mother’s return, the crime was reported, leading to a family meeting where Yankson admitted the offense and promised to appease the family.
However, on December 26, 2023, Yankson repeated the act, and the victim informed her mother upon her return.
The matter was then reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, leading to the issuance of a medical form for the victim’s examination and treatment on January 4, 2024.