Father jailed 10 years for burning daughter's genitals with hot cutlasses  

The Tarkwa circuit court has sentenced a 47-year-old man to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for assaulting his 13–year-old daughter after accusing her of having sexual intercourse with men. 

The convict, John Ansah, who is the biological father of the victim pleaded guilty to the charges of causing harm, indecent assault, and female genital mutilation.  

Police Superintendent, Juliana Essel-Dadzie, earlier told the court presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu that the complainant was a supervisor at the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL), and resident of Agona Nkwanta, while Ansah, was a charcoal producer.  

She said the convict who was a single parent lived with his children including the victim at Kwapong located within the GREL plantation.  

The court heard that Ansah had been subjecting the victim to all kinds of abuses with the allegation that she was going after men and was having sexual intercourse with them.  

Prosecution said on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at about 20:00 hours Ansah tied the legs and hands of the daughter with a rope at their bamboo house and put two cutlasses into fire and pushed same in the victim’s vagina in turns, and she sustained severe burns around her vagina and thighs.  

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie explained that the victim cried out for help while Ansah was torturing her until she became weak but was left tired up with the rope until the next day when she managed to free herself.  

After the act, Ansah became frightened that the victim might sneak from the cottage and expose him, he, therefore, started monitoring her.   

The prosecutor said on March 26, 2024, the victim managed to escape from the cottage and was rescued by a witness in the case, who rushed her to the Nsuaem Government Hospital where she was admitted for treatment.   

The case was reported at the Nsuaem police station, and a medical form was issued to him on behalf of the victim for endorsement and same was returned to the police.  

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said the complainant later led the police to arrest Ansah and handed him over to the Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to aid investigations.