An 87-year-old man, identified as Yaw Gahornu, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty of defiling a ni
An 87-year-old man, identified as Yaw Gahornu, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty of defiling a nine-year-old girl at Ofankor, a suburb of Accra.
The sentence follows investigations by the Tesano Divisional Police Command into allegations that the elderly man subjected the child to repeated sexual abuse between July and August 2026.
According to a press release issued by the Accra Regional Public Affairs Unit of the Ghana Police Service on October 12, 2026, the case came to light after the child’s mother returned from work on August 29 and noticed bloodstains on her daughter’s clothing.
The mother reportedly questioned the child about what had happened, leading to the disclosure of the alleged abuse.
Preliminary police investigations indicated that the accused had allegedly subjected the girl to repeated sexual acts involving vaginal and anal penetration during the period under investigation.
The police further alleged that Gahornu lured the child to his sleeping quarters and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse to her mother.
The allegations prompted further inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the case and the relationship between the accused and the child.
The police statement also disclosed that the alleged abuse was reportedly witnessed by the accused person’s granddaughter on August 31, 2026.
The granddaughter subsequently informed family members, including the child’s mother, after which the matter was reported to the police for investigation.
The report set the criminal justice process in motion, with investigators gathering information surrounding the allegations before charging the accused.
The case was subsequently brought before the Gender-Based Violence Court at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) Headquarters in Accra.
Following the court proceedings, Gahornu was found guilty of defilement and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
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