Tarkwa: Father jailed 20 years for defiling daughter

A 40-year-old mason has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in hard labour for defiling his 13-year-old daughter in the Western Region.

Samuel Okyere was convicted by the Tarkwa Circuit Court after pleading guilty to defilement and incest.

He told the court he was drunk, but the court rejected the explanation.

The court, presided over by Her Honour Bernice Mensima Ackon, said the punishment was necessary to deter others from committing similar offences.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Samuel Ahiabor, prosecuting, said the complainant is the victim’s mother and a trader.

He told the court that Okyere and the complainant had been married for 14 years and had four children.

The victim is their eldest child.

According to the prosecution, the incident happened at about 11 p.m. on January 19, 2026.

ASP Ahiabor said the complainant woke up to urinate and allegedly caught Okyere having sexual intercourse with the girl in their matrimonial room.

The victim was said to have been sleeping in the same room with her three siblings.

The prosecutor said the complainant shouted at Okyere and hit him on the back with both hands, forcing him to get off the victim.

She later reported the case to the Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit in Tarkwa.

A police medical form was issued for the victim to be taken to hospital for examination and treatment.

The complainant later returned the form after it was endorsed by a medical officer at the Apinto Government Hospital in Tarkwa.

The prosecution said investigations revealed that Okyere had allegedly started having sexual intercourse with the victim in 2025.

The victim told investigators that this usually happened when her mother left home for work at dawn.

Okyere was later arrested and questioned.

Police said an investigation caution statement was obtained from him before he was arraigned.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in hard labour.