Man, 87, Jailed 20 Years for Defiling 9-Year-Old Girl

An Accra court has jailed an 87-year-old man for 20 years in hard labour for defiling a nine-year-old girl, a Police statement has disclosed.

The case shows how defilement continues to harm children in Ghana, with figures showing it is the most common form of abuse reported against minors.

The conviction was secured by the Tesano Divisional Police Command. Yaw Gahornu was found guilty by the Gender-Based Violence Court at the DOVVSU headquarters.

The abuse came to light on August 29, 2026, when the girl’s mother returned from work and saw bloodstains on her daughter’s clothing. When the mother asked what happened, the child said Gahornu had abused her several times between July and August that year.

Police investigations found that the man lured the child to his sleeping quarters. He threatened to kill her if she told her mother about the abuse.

On August 31, 2026, the accused’s granddaughter witnessed the abuse. She told family members, including the victim’s mother, and the case was reported to the police.

The Accra Regional Police Command welcomed the sentence. It said it remains committed to protecting children and other vulnerable people. It also urged the public to report suspected child abuse cases quickly.

The judgment follows what a recent nationwide study by Child Rights International which found that defilement accounts for 59.4 per cent of all offences committed against children in Ghana. It is the most common form of abuse recorded in the country.

Other figures show the scale of the problem. In 2024, the Greater Accra Region recorded 304 defilement cases and 100 rape cases. The Central Region had 220 defilement cases that same year. A 2022 survey also found that one in 10 Ghanaian girls experience their first sexual encounter before age 15.