By Hillary Thompson, Accra
A 21-year-old trader who defiled a seven-year-old girl at North Kaneshie in Accra has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.
Anuze Salifu, charged with defilement, denied the offence. However, after the trial, the court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, found Salifu guilty and sentenced him.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Agnes Boafo, the prosecutor, said the complainant was a trader residing at North Kaneshie, Accra with the victim and her other siblings.
The prosecution said Salifu also lived a few meters away from the complainant’s house.
It said on March 7, this year, the complainant left the victim and her brother in the care of their elder sister.
While the victim was playing with her brother, the prosecution said the brother left the house on the blind side of the victim.
It said realising that her brother was not in the house, the victim decided to go and look for him.
The prosecution said the victim saw her brother seated in front of Salifu’s door, so she went to him.
On hearing the victim speak to her brother, Salifu came out of his room and informed the victim’s brother to come into his room to watch a movie on his laptop.
It said as soon as he (the victim’s brother) entered Salifu’s room, he locked the door and carried her to his porch, and defiled her.
It said after the act, Salifu warned the victim not to disclose her ordeal to anyone else she would die.