Tarkwa court jails mason 10 years for defiling daughter

A Circuit Court in Tarkwa has sentenced a 40-year-old mason to 10 years in prison after he admitted sexually abusing his 13-year-old daughter.

Samuel Okyere was convicted after pleading guilty to defilement and incest before the court, which was presided over by Her Honour Bernice Mensimah Akoh.

The charges were brought under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, which criminalises sexual activity with children under 16 as well as incest.

According to the prosecution, the case came to light on the night of 19 January 2026, when the child’s mother allegedly caught the convict in the act inside their matrimonial room at Low-Cost in Tarkwa. She is said to have raised an alarm and stopped what was happening.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Samuel Ahiabor told the court that the complainant, who is a trader, has been married to Okyere for 14 years and that the victim is the eldest of their four children.

After the incident, the matter was reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Tarkwa. The girl was later examined at Apinto Government Hospital after being issued with a medical form.

Police investigations, the prosecution said, showed that the abuse had not been a one-off incident. Officers believe it had been happening since 2025, often at times when the mother had left home early for work.

The court heard that Okyere later admitted the offence in his caution statement. His guilty plea in court led to his conviction and immediate sentencing.