An 87-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Gender-Based Violence Court at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) Headquarters after being convicted of defiling a nine-year-old girl at Ofankor, a suburb of Accra.
According to a statement issued by the Accra Regional Police Command, the conviction followed investigations by the Tesano Divisional Police Command into allegations of repeated sexual abuse involving the child.
Police said preliminary investigations revealed that on August 29, 2026, the complainant returned home from work and noticed bloodstains on the clothing of her nine-year-old daughter. Upon questioning the child, she disclosed that the accused, identified as Yaw Gahornu, had allegedly subjected her to repeated abuse between July and August 2026.
Further investigations established that the suspect allegedly lured the victim to his sleeping quarters and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incidents to her mother.
The case came to light on August 31, 2026, when the alleged abuse was reportedly witnessed by the convict’s granddaughter, who informed family members, including the complainant. The matter was subsequently reported to the police for investigation.
Following investigations, Yaw Gahornu was arrested, charged and arraigned before the Gender-Based Violence Court at the DOVVSU Headquarters.
The court found him guilty of the offence of defilement and sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The Accra Regional Police Command welcomed the court’s decision and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable persons from abuse and exploitation.
The Command also urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of child abuse and other forms of violence to the police to facilitate investigations and appropriate action.