Alleged sodomy teacher pleads guilty to charges
The teacher standing trial for allegedly sodomising 19 pupils of the Kulpi Junior High School (JHS) in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region has pleaded guilty to all the charges preferred against him after investigations by the police.
The accused, Mr Natomah Otabel, a Social Studies teacher of the school, pleaded guilty to defilement and unnatural carnal knowledge when he appeared before the Tamale Circuit Court yesterday (October 14).
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Alexander Oworee, remanded the accused person in police custody to reappear on October 21, 2021 for judgement.
Advertisement
Re-arrested
The accused was earlier discharged by the Salaga Magistrate Court in the Savannah Region last Wednesday (October 13) because it did not have the jurisdiction to try the case.
However, he was re-arrested by the police immediately he was discharged and put before the Tamale Circuit Court.
Facts of the case
The facts of the case are that the suspect is a Social Studies teacher at the Kulpi Roman Catholic (R/C) JHS in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region.
On Thursday, September 23, 2021, five of the victims confided in a female teacher of the school that their Social Studies teacher Natomah Yamousah Otabel had been harassing them sexually by allegedly having unnatural carnal knowledge with them at the teachers’ quarters without using a condom, after he had lured them to his residence on pretext of sending them.
The female teacher, on hearing this, informed the headmaster and the assistant headmaster of the school.
The headmaster invited the victims to his office and after questioning, they indicated that several others had also been sexually harassed by the accused person.
Advertisement
The accused was later invited and when asked, he admitted to the allegations.
Medical examination report
The costs of medical examination of the victims at the Tamale Teaching Hospital were paid by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Salaga South, Hajia Zuweira Ibrahimah and Developing Kids Ghana, a non-governmental organisation.
The medical report is yet to be submitted to the police.