87-year-old jailed for 20 years for defiling nine-year-old girl

An 87-year-old man, Yaw Gahornu, has been jailed for 20 years for the repeated defilement of a nine-year-old girl.

The Police Headquarters Gender-Based Violence Court passed the sentence after Gahornu pleaded guilty to two counts of defilement.

The court imposed 10 years on each count, to be served consecutively, bringing the total to 20 years. He was, however, discharged on a separate charge of unnatural carnal knowledge.

Court proceedings heard that the girl’s mother returned from work on August 29, 2026, and found blood stains on her daughter’s underwear.

When she asked the child what had happened, the girl named Gahornu as the person responsible. She said he abused her every time she went out to play.

Led by Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyei, the prosecution told the court that the abuse started in July and went on until August 31, when the accused was caught in the act. The prosecution further said Gahornu had threatened to kill the girl if she told her mother.

It was reportedly Gahornu’s own granddaughter who exposed him. On August 31, 2026, she found him with the girl and informed her uncle, who then told the girl’s mother. That sequence of reports led to the old man’s arrest.

Because Gahornu pleaded guilty, the matter did not go through a full trial, and the court moved to sentencing.

The consecutive arrangement means he must complete the first 10-year term before beginning the second, so the full 20 years will be served in sequence.

The case also shows the role family members can play. It was a relative of the accused who raised the alarm, and that report set in motion the arrest and the prosecution that followed.

It also highlights how long abuse of a child can continue unnoticed when the offender has access to the child and uses fear to keep the victim silent. Here, the prosecution said, Gahornu threatened the girl with death to prevent her from telling her mother.

Cases such as this underscore why parents and guardians are urged to pay close attention to sudden changes in a child’s mood or behaviour, to listen when children speak up, and to report any suspicion promptly to the police or social welfare authorities.

The girl’s identity is being withheld to protect her privacy, in line with standard reporting practice on cases involving child victims.