MAN, 25, JAILED FOR RAPE (PAGE 20)

THE Fiapre Circuit Court in the Sunyani West District in the Brong Ahafo Region, presided over by Mr Justice Benjamin Osei has sentenced a 25 year-old man to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for kidnapping and raping a female Senior High School (SHS) student.
The convict, Charles Amponsah pleaded not guilty to the offence but the court presided over by Justice Benjamin Osei subjected him to a trial that lasted two years and found him guilty.
Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Kwaku Amoako said the convict resided at Odumase near Sunyani while the victim is a student.
He said on October 5, 2007, the victim went to a grinding mill to grind tomatoes but the owner of the mill did not operate that day.
DSP Amoako who is also the Regional Commander of the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, stated that the convict who was around the area called the victim and told her that he knew another place where she could grind the tomatoes.
He said the convict therefore decided to lead the victim to the grinding mill.
According to DSP Amoako, after grinding the tomatoes and she was returning home, Amponsah allegedly managed to lure the victim to his bedroom where he forcibly had sexual intercourse with her and locked her up until dawn the following day.
He said the victim who was staying with her mother on the school compound, reported the ordeal she had gone through to her mother who subsequently reported the matter to the police.
DSP Amoako said after police investigations, the victim was issued with a medical form to attend hospital.
He said the convict was arrested and after police investigations, he was put before court where he pleaded not guilty to the offence and he had to be tried for two years.