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Carpenter apprentice charged for abduction, defilement

Stephen Ackom, a carpenter apprentice, has appeared before the Agona Swedru Circuit Court for the abduction and defilement of a 13-year-old girl.

Ackom, however, claimed the girl came to him on her own volition and refused to go to her house in Winneba.

It, however, emerged that Ackom had been in a relationship with the 13-year-old for four months, during which period he had slept with her on four different occasions.

Ackom, alias Egya Kow, pleaded not guilty to the charges of abduction of a child under 18 years contrary to section 91 of Act 29/60 as amended by Act 554 (8) 98 and defilement of a female aged under 16.

Mr Justice N.K.E. Osam, a High Court judge sitting as an additional Circuit Court judge, accordingly remanded Ackom in prison custody to appear later.

According to Inspector S. Opoku-Mensah, the victim is a class six pupil who lives with her aunt, Rebecca Quartey, whereas Ackom is a resident of Sankor, a suburb of Winneba.

According to the prosecutor, on August 26, 2013, the victim left home unceremoniously, prompting her aunt to start looking for her in vain.

He said the following day, August 27, 2013, one Rebecca Omaanu, the victim’s cousin, led Madam Quartey to Ackom’s house and confronted him over the whereabouts of the girl, but he denied ever knowing the victim.

Inspector Opoku-Mensah said the victim’s relatives still had doubts about Ackom’s denial and therefore organised some men, including the victim’s biological parents, who conducted a search in Ackom’s room where they found the 13-year-old hiding behind the curtains.

Mr Opoku-Mensah said the search party apprehended the ‘couple’ and escorted them to the police station, where Ackom admitted harbouring the victim.

From Ekow Yamoah/The Mirror/Ghana

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