Bolga: Soldier detained over rape accusation

A soldier has been detained over an accusation of raping an 18-year-old hotel attendant.

The incident reportedly happened on Monday [September 2, 2024] at about 3pm at a guest house at Soe, a suburb of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

The 18-year-old victim is said to have run to a nearby house to raise an alarm.

Following that, a team of military personnel from the Abilba Barracks of the 11th Mechanised Battalion stormed the area and took the said soldier away.

Graphic Online’s Upper East correspondent, Gilbert Mawuli Agbey reports that the victim [name withheld] said the soldier arrived at the guest house around 9am on Monday and paid GH¢150 for a full day lodging.

She alleged that after leading the soldier to his room, he started making sexual advances towards her, but she declined.

Not satisfied with that the soldier reportedly continued his request and further demanded to have sex with her.

Not long after, a woman said to have been invited by the soldier to the guest house arrived at the premises in a rickshaw, and the soldier received and ushered her into the room.

However, the woman reportedly declined to stay with the soldier, and after a few minutes, left the guest house.

After she had left, the soldier reportedly returned to the victim [18-year-old], and reportedly pulled a pair of scissors, and threatened her to give in to his sexual demand.

When the victim stood her grounds by not accepting his demands, the soldier dragged her into the room, and reportedly forcibly had sex with her, and took pictures of her after the incident.

Subsequently, the victim managed to run out and raised an alarm, and after the information went round, some soldiers from the Abilba barracks stormed the scene, picked the soldier, and sent him into custody.

Meanwhile, the victim has lodged an official report at the regional office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service.

A source within the unit told Graphic Online that a form was subsequently issued to the victim to undergo medical examination at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital. 

Investigation into the matter is ongoing.