Soldier jailed 20 years for incest

 A soldier, who had sex with his nine-year-old daughter until she attained the age of 15, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court.

Sergeant (Sgt) Eric Asare­Mante is said to have taken advantage of the victim any time he shaved her pubic hair, and threatened to stop her from going to school should she tell anyone about her ordeal.

Although Sgt Asare­Mante pleaded not guilty, the court presided by Mrs. Justice Rita Abrokwah­Doko found him guilty on the charges of defilement and incest, and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment and 10 years on the charge of incest. Sentences would however run concurrently.

According to the court, the convict was a threat to humanity and should be kept away to safeguard the future of girls, and that his sentence was to serve as deterrent to other likeminded people.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said between the year 2013 and November 2018, the victim lived under the same roof with accused at Burma Camp, Accra.

Prosecution said Sgt Asare­Mante in the guise of shaving the daughters pubic hair had sex with her, and after each sexual encounter gave the victim drugs to prevent pregnancy.

Chief Insp Atimbire said said Sgt Asare­Mante also threatened to discontinue sponsoring the victim’s education if she disclosed his actions to anyone.

The court heard that in July, 2019, when the victim visited her grandmother, she narrated her ordeal to her uncle.

 Chief Insp Atimbire said the uncle reported the case to the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service, and a police medical report form was issued for the victim to be examined.

The Prosecution said after a medical report was issued,  Sgt Asare­Mante was arrested by the police but, he denied the offence in his investigative cautioned statement to the police. -GNA