Retired teacher in court for incest

Seth Kwadwo Dese, 69, a retired teacher and father of eight, who allegedly abused her underage daughter for two years, and later threw her onto the street when she started resisting his sexual advances was arraigned yesterday.  

He pleaded not guilty to the counts of indecent assault and incestbefore the Ho Circuit Court.

The court granted Dese bail in the sum of GHc 50, 000 with two sureties.  

Inspector Clever Ayayee told the court presided over by Mr Felix Datsomor that accused also stated that he carried out those acts on his own daughter to “preserve her to become the only graduate among her sisters.”  

Prosecution said that Dese in his caution statement admitted performing only oral sex on the girl.  

The court heard that the victim, now 17, initially lived with her mother at Kpetoe,in the Volta region, but moved to Ho to live with her father in 2019.  

According to the prosecution, the girl initially slept on the floor of the single room she shared with her father.  

Insp Ayayee said later, Dese convinced the girl to join him in bed at night and from then onwards he had sex with her and warned her never to disclose the act to anyone.  

Prosecution stated that Dese fondled the girl’s breast, inserted his fingers into her private part and carried out oral sex on her.  

Insp Ayayee said with time the girl began resisting her father’s sexual advances and that angered Dese, who ordered her to pack her belongings and leave the room.   

Subsequently, the matter was reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), leading to the arrest of Dese.  

FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO