The rate at which some fathers are accused of either engaging in sex with their biological daughters or step-daughters is quite alarming.

This abominable act is gaining currency in the country and should be nipped in the bud.

As of now, a 43-year-old unemployed, Mr. KwawErmerlehAgovi, a resident of Ofankor in Accra is being tried by the Accra Circuit Court “5” for allegedly defiling his eight-year-old step daughter.

The accused who mounted the dock on Monday charged with defilement contrary to section 101 (2) of Criminal Offences Act 1960, Act 29, however, denied the offence.

The Presiding Judge, Mrs. Christina Cann granted him GH¢60,000.00 bail with three sureties, two of whom should be Public or Civil Servants and earning not less than GH¢3,000.00 a month.

She adjourned the case to June 14, 2021, for Case Management Conference (CMC), but ordered the accused to stay away from the victim, who is presently staying with her aunty at Tantra Hill.

Paradoxically, it was an 18-year old biological daughter of the accused who reported the immoral conduct of her father to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at Tesano leading to his arrest.

Relating the circumstances or facts of the matter to the court, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, said that Mr. Agovi with his biological daughter and the step daughter (Victim) lived in a three-bedroom apartment but each had a separate room.

He said that the accused had been sneaking into the room of the eight-year-old victim anytime she was alone to have sex with her.

This, according to the prosecutor, became unbearable to the small girl until the complainant (accused’s daughter) saw her step sister crying at about 5:00am on April 24, 2021, and decided to find out the cause.

He said that the victim confided in the complainant that the accused had been engaging in sexual intercourse with her.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said that armed with this piece of information, the 18-year-old daughter of the accused devised means of monitoring her father to be cock sure that the allegation levelled against him was true or otherwise.

He told the court that in the course of monitoring, the complainant detected that her father (accused) had been sneaking into the victim’s room at night.

He said that on April 29, 2021, at about 12:00 midnight Mr. Agovi as usual, sneaked into the victim’s room, undressed himself and the victim, and was preparing to lie on her when the complainant rushed into the room and caught her father red handed.

The prosecutor said that the accused threatened to kill the

complainant if she revealed his conduct to either anyone or to the

police.

And for the fear of her father’s death threat, the complainant ran away from home and reported the issue to DOVVSU for action to be taken.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said that the accused was later arrested and put before court after police investigation and receipt of the victim’s medical report from the hospital.

The case continues on Monday, June 14, 2021.

By Castro Zangina-Tong