Man jailed for defiling neighbour’s daughter

When he was initially charged on June 13th, he entered a plea of guilty to the offense. He entered a plea of guilty and was given a seven-year prison term in exchange.

Man jailed for defiling neighbour’s daughter

Richard Atim, a 25-year-old mechanic who molested an 11-year-old girl, was sentenced to seven years in a hard labor jail by the Sogakofe Circuit Court.

The girl is in primary five and is the neighbor of the person accused. As co-tenants, they so shared a home at Battor-Ayiboe, in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.

Richard, a Togolese, appeared before the Sogakope Circuit Court, presided over by His Lordship, Isaac Addo, on charges of defilement in violation of section 101 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

When he was first brought before the court on June 13th, he entered a plea of guilty to the accusation. To this end, he was convicted on his plea and sentenced to serve a prison term of seven.

Inspector Elikplim Avorgbedor, who was representing the prosecution, described how the event occurred on Sunday, May 29, 2022, at about 7:00 am.

The victim's mother, Pearl Kumi, went to church first that morning and anticipated her daughter would soon follow.

After she had gone, the co-tenant who is accused called the victim and asked her to go out and buy him some sachet water.

The accused instructed the girl to bring the water inside his room when she came back with it. Mawunyefia Atim, his five-year-old son, who was by this point in the room, was told to leave by his father.

The accused pulled the victim into the room after the boy left and put his palm over her mouth. Then he forced himself to have sex with her.

He warned the victim not to tell anyone about the event. The victim confessed to her buddy after a few days had passed. Later, this friend told the victim's mother about what had happened.

Madam Kumi confronted the suspect at first, who then told her what had transpired on that critical day.

On June 6, 2022, the victim's mother called the Aveyime Police Department to report the incident.

She received a Police Medical Report authorizing her to take her daughter to the hospital for evaluation and care. She gave the Police the examination results back so they might help with their inquiry.

After that, the suspect was taken into custody and accused of defiling.

When he was initially charged on June 13th, he entered a plea of guilty to the offense. He entered a plea of guilty and was given a seven-year prison term in exchange.

Isaac Addo, the judge, took into account the fact that the accused was a first-time offender, a family guy, and that he had pleaded guilty when determining how long to sentence him.

The judge also took into account the rise in defilement within the court's jurisdiction.