An 87-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a nine-year-old girl at Ofankor, a suburb of Accra.
The sentence was secured by the Tesano Divisional Police Command after the accused, identified as Yaw Gahornu, was found guilty of the offence by the Gender-Based Violence Court at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) Headquarters.
According to a Ghana Police Service statement issued on October 12, 2026, preliminary investigations showed that the girl’s mother discovered bloodstains on her daughter’s clothing after returning from work on August 29.
When questioned, the child reportedly disclosed that Gahornu had subjected her to repeated sexual abuse between July and August 2026.
Further investigations indicated that the accused allegedly lured the child to his sleeping quarters and threatened to kill her if she told her mother about the abuse.
The case came to light after the accused’s granddaughter reportedly witnessed the alleged abuse on August 31 and informed family members, including the child’s mother. The matter was subsequently reported to the police.
Gahornu was arrested, charged and arraigned before the Gender-Based Violence Court, where he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour.
The Accra Regional Police Command welcomed the outcome and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable people.
The Police also urged the public to promptly report suspected cases of child abuse to enable investigations and appropriate action.
