Former AG seeks justice for 19-year-old girl raped by Lebanese boss

A former Attorney General, Mrs Marietta Brew-Appiah Oppon says she will follow up to ensure that justice is served in the case of the 19-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by her Lebanese boss in Accra last Saturday.

The suspect, Haddad Rabih, is alleged to have forcibly had sex with the victim around 5 p.m on Saturday in the absence of his wife and other occupants of his household.

Rabih is also said have subjected the victim to severe beatings for resisting his sexual demands.

Speaking on the matter, Mrs Brew-Appiah Oppong said: "Very often by the time you become aware of a situation like this, time has elapsed and evidence is lost and it becomes very difficult to follow up on it. That is why we are very keen on following up on this one to make sure the proper investigation and prosecution is done".

Read also: Lebanese arrested for allegedly raping19-year-old househelp

Background

Rabih was arrested on Sunday night.

Graphic Online’s Mabel Aku Baneseh reported that four policemen from the East Legon District Police Command arrested him around 11:45 pm on Sunday.

The suspect, Graphic Online gathered forcibly had sex with the victim around 5 pm on Saturday in the absence of his wife and other occupants of his household after subjecting her to severe beatings for resisting his demands.

The incident happened at Airport Hills residential area.

The Commander of the East Legon District Command, Superintendent Cephas Arthur, told Graphic Online that investigations were ongoing.

He said the suspect would be processed for court after investigations.

The Ordeal

Narrating her ordeal to Graphic Online, after seeking medical care, the victim (name withheld), who speaks only Ewe and French, said the suspect beat her up mercilessly after she refused to accede to his demands for the second time.

He slapped her twice on the face, finally overpowered her and dragged her to his bedroom to rape her.

According to the victim who could barely turn her neck, she had been in the employment of the suspect from the month of November but was persistently harassed by him for sex anytime his wife was not at home.

She said last Saturday’s event was the fourth time the suspect had raped her in a total of two separate encounters.

Narrating how it happened, she said the suspect directed her to have her bath after his wife, another househelp and his children had left home.

After her shower, the suspect allegedly directed her to his kitchen, which was close to the master bedroom to prepare him coffee.

She obliged after he refused to allow her to dress properly after bathing.

On reaching the kitchen, he locked the door but her attempt to escape was not successful.

The victim said Rabih threw her out of the room after raping her twice. She bled after the act.

Help

The victim said she sought help from some police officers on duty at a nearby house.

The police officers, she noted, apprehended the suspect and took him to the Airport Police Station but on reaching there, a policewoman on duty led the team back to the suspect’s home.

On reaching the house, the policewoman allegedly took GH¢350 being her [victim] salary for the month of November 2017, from the suspect and handed it over to her.

The victim said the policewoman stayed on until she had packed her belongings out of the suspect’s home.

Assistance

A good Samaritan directed the girl and her relatives to report the matter to the East Legon District Police Command a day after the incident.

The Police Command issued her with a medical report on Sunday to undergo medical examination.

Summon

Additional information gathered by Graphic Online indicates that the Airport Divisional Police Command has summoned officers who were on duty on Saturday, December 2, 2017, for an emergency meeting to explain why the victim was not taken through standard protocol.

Victim’s Father

The victim’s father ,said he was home around 10 pm on Saturday when a policeman in the company of another woman dropped off the victim.

He said it was after they left that his daughter told him of her ordeal.