Flahsback: Son, 14 helps jail father for 22 years for defiling 13-year-old sister in class 4

Father-defiling daughter is a rare occurrence, as most fathers often take on offenders who mess up with their daughters. But this time, it was the reverse. What has gone wrong with the fathers of today?

“I just want to sleep. A coma would be nice. Or amnesia. Anything, just to get rid of these thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my head, too?” 

― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

Father defiles daughter—more details

The crime of defilement was the act that got a 42-year-old father to book his ticket for jail.

The wounds of rape and defilement inflicted on victims hardly heal if they do not get help. One could imagine how much the soul of the victims might have been hurt.

Rape and defilement leave emotional sounds, fear, anger, and shame on victims, and this can remain with them for life and make them feel worthless.

The informant was the 14-year-old brother of the victim. He called the radio station to lodge the complaint. His information that the sister had confided in him the abominable sexual abuse by the dad was enough to cause the arrest of Daniel.

Neighbors confirmed that the victim made similar reports to them, but they could do little as they were scared of the dad.

He was handed a 22-year jail term with hard labor after he was found guilty of having carnal knowledge of his 13-year-old adolescent girl. The Tema Circuit Court A was the center of focus in the adjudication of the case.

Daniel Dzoh, the father of the victim, was picked up by the Ghana Police at his residence on 9th August 2020 in Bulasi, a town located in the Ningo Prampram District.

The father of the girl was put before the court for acts of incest until his conviction in November 2020.

The judge who heard the case, Her Honour Agnes Opoku-Banieh, slapped a 22-year jail term on Daniel, who maintained he was innocent of the crime.

Accused his neighbors of manipulating his daughter against him. According to information disclosed to the public during the trial, Daniel had been defiling the 13-year-old girl since she was 10.

According to the daughter, the dad started defiling her when she was ten years old in a kiosk that served as their residence.

The story has it that Daniel took advantage of the absence of the girl’s stepmother to commit his crime when the women traveled for a funeral.

The 13-year-old victim was handed over to a children’s home where she received support from the Abuse Relief Corps.

Effects of rape and defilement on innocent victims are like lifelong wounds that never heal.

Statistics on rape and defile in Ghana

The above story has proven research that shows rape and defile perpetrators are often family members and close associates.

Data from DOVVSU in 2019 shows that 1,862 cases of rape were reported, and only 6 men were raped out of this number. This shows the vulnerability of women and girls to these barbaric acts.

Rape does not end after the disgraceful act since they suffer intense post-traumatic stress disorder. Victims of rape and defilement need help to deal with anxiety and memory loss. Other challenges they suffer are obsessive thoughts and emotional numbness.

It is important that as a nation, as we are teaching women, ladies, and girls how to deal with the potential rape or defilement, it is equally urgent to take serious steps to educate men on attitudinal change and respect for women. Until this issue is dealt with from both ends, progress will be at a small pace.

Read: January 2021 Schools Reopening Safety is Assured – GES

How can we protect children from defilement?

We need to shield children from potential rapists and people who can defile or sexually abuse children.

To achieve this

1. Children must be conditioned to be assertive and report persons who touch sensitive parts of the child’s body. Teach your child body boundaries so that they can say no and raise the red flags when people make uninvited advances.

2. Do not send children on errands at awkward hours.

3. Human rights organizations and other civil societies like the Human Rights Reporters Ghana need to be empowered and resourced to sensitize our learners and the general public on such negative acts. We must consider this as a communal effort.

4. The government of Ghana and state agencies must devise very concrete systems to ensure they protect the children’s rights.

5. Government must make medical bills of those raped and defiled free to ensure that the financial constraints do not hinder the early proving of rape or defilement.

Our children are our future; they need our protection. If family members and friends are the greatest sources of risk to our female children, let us educate our children on the need to report everyone who attempts to touch parts of the body that do not make our children comfortable.

Source: GhanaEducation.Org