A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in hard labour by the Lawra Circuit Court for engaging in incest with his 17-year-old biological daughter.
The convict, Kwame Ti-Zaaekuu, was also sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison for threatening the victim with death. The court, presided over by Stanley Adjei, ordered that the two sentences run concurrently.
The judgment was delivered on Friday, July 24.
The victim, according to the Upper West Regional Police Command, is a Junior High School (JHS) student.
The court further directed the Department of Social Welfare in Lawra to provide counselling and psychosocial support to the survivor to facilitate her recovery.
In a statement, the Public Affairs Unit of the Ghana Police Service in the Upper West Region said the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Yiribaare, commended the investigators for their diligence, which led to the successful prosecution of the case.
He reaffirmed the Ghana Police Service’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons, particularly women and children, from sexual and domestic abuse.
DCOP Yiribaare also appealed to the public to promptly report cases of sexual violence, domestic abuse and related offences to the police to ensure offenders are brought to justice.
The police said the conviction underscored their determination to pursue perpetrators of sexual and domestic violence through the courts, while collaborating with relevant state institutions to ensure survivors receive the protection, care and psychosocial support they need.
