Farmer jailed 15 years for defilement

A Sogakope Circuit Court has sentenced Agbeko Ametame, a 45-year-old farmer, to 15 years in prison for incest and defiling his 14-year-old niece at Mafi-Dzabukpo in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region. Ametame pleaded guilty to two counts: incest in violation of Section 105 of the Criminal Offences Act 29/60 as amended, and child defilement under 16 years contrary to Section 101 of the same Act.

According to brief facts presented to the court by L/CPL Kukubor Gifty of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), the victim, currently six months pregnant, had lived with Ametame since she was three years old after her mother placed her under his guardianship.

The victim believed Ametame was her father and resided with him in one room. The prosecutor noted that Ametame started engaging in sexual relations with the victim when she turned 11, resulting in pregnancy.

The court, led by Joseph Naadado Mcaly, learned that Ametame ordered the victim to hide the details of her pregnancy and declined to pursue medical assistance due to fear of being discovered.

The issue surfaced when educators at the victim’s school noticed physical alterations and inquired about them. Ametame was subsequently apprehended, and a medical report was prepared for the victim.