A 42-year-old native of Agortime Kpetoe and a resident of Bulasu a suburb of Mataheko in the Ningo Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region, Daniel Dzoh, has been remanded for two weeks in police custody for allegedly sexually abusing his 13-year-old daughter.
He is to re-appear in court on August 25, 2020.
The man has been accused of allegedly defiling his 13-year-old daughter, who is a class four pupil, for close to three years now.
He was apprehended by the Police in Tema after a Citi News investigation.
On Thursday 6th of August 2019, Citi News received a tip-off from a neighbour at Bulasu, a community within the Ningo Prampram District, that the suspect has been sexually assaulting and abusing his 13-year-old daughter.
According to the neighbour who gave the tip-off, the suspect would not allow anyone near his daughter for fear of being exposed.
Upon receiving the information, a Citi News’ team went to the house disguised as volunteers from a Non-Governmental Organisation to gain access to the victim but the accused person, however, kicked out the team.
However, the following day, the informant managed to get the victim to his house where she narrated her ordeal to Citi News.
According to the victim, the father first raped her at age 10 in a kiosk when the stepmother had travelled for a funeral.
“One day he asked me to prepare porridge for him; so after preparing it, he asked if we had sugar. I told him no; so he asked me to come for money to buy the sugar. When I entered into the kiosk in which he was taking a nap, he requested I take off my clothes and that I shouldn’t be afraid of him because he loves me so much.”
“I then started crying. He then tore my clothes and forcefully raped me. Since then he has been doing it every week. I reported him to a few neighbours and an uncle but nothing positive came out of that. He does it anytime he feels like doing it and in the process when I refuse, he will tear my pants and clothes and also beat me up,” the victim encountered.
Several scars as a result of the beatings and physical abuse from her father could be visibly seen on her skin.
Upon returning home after the interview with Citi News, the accused person allegedly subjected the victim again to severe beatings and dragged her into his room where he again tore her underwear off and defiled her.
Upon receiving this new information, Citi News‘ arranged with the Tema Regional Police where the suspect was immediately arrested at his residence.
The victim was also sent to the Tema General Hospital for medical check-up and treatment which lasted for three days.
The medical report stated that “upon examination, the victim looks depressed and fearful with multiple scars on her body consistent with injury caused by beating with a cane”.
It further stated that “genital findings consistent with defilement were noticed when examined”.
Tina Otu, the stepmother of the victim, said although the girl had told her about the father’s sexual abuse, the father denied when confronted.
The girl’s elder brother, who is 14-years-old, also narrated that his younger sister had complained about the father’s sexual abuse to him before.
“My sister told me in 2019 that our dad has been having an affair with her. Anytime I’m sent and I return, I see my sister crying and when I ask about the problem, she says our father raped her again”.
Some neighbours also confirmed to Citi News that the victim had on several occasions reported to them about her ordeal but could do little because they were afraid of the victim’s father.
“The victim told me that the father has been having an affair with her and she pleaded that I get him arrested. But I told her I’m unable to do that because I’m not a family member and more so I am afraid of his father. So I advised her to complain to her family members since I don’t want to be in trouble,” one neighbour said.
According to the 13-year-old girl, there is no week that passes without her father having sex with her.
However, on Thursday, August 13, the suspect Daniel Dzoh was put before the Tema Circuit Court B where he pleaded both guilty and not guilty.
He, however, admitted in open court that he had inserted ginger into the anus of his daughter before but denied having sexual intercourse with her.
He has since been remanded for two weeks to enable the prosecution to continue with further investigation into the matter.
The accused is expected to reappear in court on August 25.
The victim has been put in a children’s home where she is currently receiving support from Abuse Relief Corps.
Source: Citi News
