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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
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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