Man, 87, jailed 20 years for defiling nine-year-old girl at Ofankor

An 87-year-old unemployed man has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Police Headquarters Gender-Based Violence Court for defilement.

The nine-year-old girl he defiled at Ofankor experienced lower abdominal pain, painful urination and “faecal incontinence” because of the vagina and anal sex, police said.

Yaw Gahornu, charged with two counts of defilement and unnatural carnal knowledge, pleaded guilty.

He was convicted and sentenced on his plea.

Gohornu is said to have had sex with the victim on many occasions through her anus and vagina.

The court sentenced Gahornu to 10 years imprisonment on each of the two counts of defilement.

Sentences are to run consecutively.

The court, however, discharged him on the charge of unnatural carnal knowledge.

It was noted that the accused person, a first-time offender, did not waste the court’s time and had also spent a month in lawful custody.

However, it said considering the increasing nature of the offence, it would hand down sentence, which served as deterrent to likeminded persons.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyei, said the complainant was a 42-year-old trader.

He said the complainant, the victim’s mother, resided in the same neighbourhood as Gohornu, in Ofankor, Accra.

The prosecution said Gohornu’s wooden structure, where he slept, was located about 40 meters from the complainant’s residence.

The court heard that Gohornu started luring the victim into having anal and vaginal sex with him from July to August 31, 2026, when he was caught in the act.

On August 29, at about 1540 hours, the complainant returned from work and noticed some blood stains on the victim’s pants, the court heard.

When the complainant questioned her daughter, the prosecution said she mentioned Gahornu having anal and vagina sex with her anytime she went out to play.

Prosecution said after having sex with the victim, Gohornu would threaten to kill her if she told her mother.

On August 31, at about 1600 hours, Gohornu was having sex with the victim when his granddaughter caught them in the act and reported to her uncle, who in turn informed the complainant.

The matter was reported to the police, and a medical form was issued to enable the victim to receive medical attention.

When she was assessed, the victim was found to be in stable condition but experienced lower abdominal pain, painful urination and faecal incontinence because of the vagina and anal sex.