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Court remands auto mechanic for defiling 12-yr-old girl
A 25-year-old auto mechanic has been remanded into police custody by the Ejisu District Court for defiling a 12-year-old girl at Domeabra in Ejisu of Ashanti Region.
Joseph Sarkodie has been charged with defilement, but his plea was not taken during his first appearance at the court presided over by Mr Kwaku Baah Frempong on Monday May 18, 2020.
The suspect would reappear before the court on June 1, 2020.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector Emmanuel Appiah Kubi, told the court that, the victim (name withheld) on May 10, 2020, at about 7:30 pm was commuting from her elder sister’s house to her home in the Domeabra vicinity where she met Sarkodie.
According to prosecution, Sarkodie offered to escort the victim to her home, but was surprisingly lured into an uncompleted building and forced her to have sexual intercourse through her anus.
The victim immediately after the incident reported to her elder sister who led her to report to the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ejisu Police Station.
The court heard that, the victim was issued with a police medical report form to be taken to any government hospital for examination to be conducted on her, and the victim was taken to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital.
According to Chief Inspector Appiah Kubi, the medical form which was duly endorsed by a medical officer was brought to DOVVSU and it confirmed that the victim’s hymen was broken, whitish discharge was found in the private part, fecal matter found at the anus, among other findings.
DOVVSU, upon receiving the medical report, arrested Sarkodie and detained him at the Ejisu Police Station, where his caution statement was taken, and he admitted to the crime of inserting his penis into the victim’s anus, but denied having sexual intercourse with her.
FROM FAUSTINA KWABEA OSEI, KUMASI
THE Executive Director of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), Mr Juventus Dourinaah, has called on the media to take a lead role in promoting inclusivity and accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing persons in Ghana.
He made the call at a media forum last week on the theme “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.” It brought together journalists, development partners, and members of the Deaf community.
The event formed part of efforts to highlight the importance of sign language as a human right and to encourage media institutions to adopt inclusive communication practices.
Mr Dourinaah emphasised that the media was one of the most powerful tools for shaping public perception, influencing policies, and setting national agendas.
“The media holds strong power to influence understanding and build inclusion.”
For deaf persons, he said, access to information through sign language, captioning, and visual communication is not a privilege but rather a human right.
He added that without accessible communication, deaf people remain excluded from national conversations, education, and opportunities that shape their lives.
He therefore urged both public and private broadcasters to integrate sign language interpretation into all news programmes, public service announcements, and major national events.
Mr Dourinaah also appealed to the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ministry of Communications (MoC) to make accessibility a mandatory requirement for all media houses.
At the end of the meeting, media representatives in a communique pledged to promote accessibility by including Ghanaian Sign Language interpretation and subtitles in programming.
They also pledged to ensure fair and non-discriminatory representation of deaf persons while collaborating with GNAD to train media personnel on inclusive communication.
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The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) would host its flagship awards in Kumasi for the first time, with the 29th edition set for November 8 at the Manhyia Palace, under the patronage of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The event will celebrate excellence in journalism and recognise media professionals and institutions that have demonstrated integrity, innovation, and commitment to the highest standards of the profession.
Launching the Awards in Accra on Thursday, the GJA President, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, explained that the decision to host the awards in Kumasi was a symbolic gesture of inclusivity, reflecting the Association’s commitment to recognise contributions from all regions of the country.
This year’s edition would be held under the theme, “Safeguarding Ghana’s Future: The Role of the Media in Promoting Peace, Security and the Fight Against Galamsey.”
At the launch, two committees — Awards and Planning Committees — were inaugurated.
The nine-member Awards Committee, chaired by Mr Gabriel Bosompem, former Commissioner of the National Media Commission and former Production Manager at TV3 (Media General), is responsible for vetting of entries.
Other members of the committee include Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahman, Editor of the Ghanaian Times; Mr Kingsley Obeng-Kyere, P.A.V. Ansah, Ms Nana Yaa Konadu, and Ms Theresa Owusu-Ako.
The rest are Madam Agnes Boye-Doe, Mr David Andoh, Mr Samuel Bio and Mr Jeorge Wilson Kingston.
The Planning Committee is co-chaired by Mr Dwumfour and Mr Prince Oheneba Nana Kwaku Duah, and includes Mr Dominic Hlordzi, Mr Emmanuel Safo, Deputy Head of Protocol at the Manhyia Palace; and Mr Kwame Adinkra.
Others are Mr Kojo Soboh, Mr Nathaniel Attoh of Joy News; Ms Rebecca Ekpe, Vice President of the GJA; and former National Treasurer, Mrs Audrey Francesca Dekalu.
Mr Dwumfour assured that accommodation and transportation would be fully provided for more than 500 journalists to travel to Kumasi for the awards to ensure full participation.
The event will commence with a welcome reception at the Lancaster Hotel on Friday, November 7, followed by a health walk on the morning of Saturday and climax it with the awards ceremony at 4pm at the Manhyia Palace.
The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in his address, commended the GJA for sustaining the awards for over nearly three decades.
He urged journalists to embrace innovation and adapt to new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
He reaffirmed government’s commitment to press freedom, noting that President John Dramani Mahama remains a strong advocate of free speech.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
