Ghana Jails 87-Year-Old Man 20 Years For Defiling Nine-Year-Old Girl

An 87-year-old man, Yaw Gahornu, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a nine-year-old girl in Ofankor, a suburb of Accra, Ghana.

Gahornu was convicted by the Gender-Based Violence Court after pleading guilty to two counts of defilement, according to a report by MyJoyOnline, which cited the Ghana News Agency.

The court sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment on each count and ordered that the terms run consecutively, bringing his total prison sentence to 20 years. He was discharged on a separate charge of unnatural carnal knowledge.

The case came to light on August 29, 2026, when the girl’s mother returned from work and discovered bloodstains on her daughter’s clothing.

According to the prosecution’s account reported by MyJoyOnline, the mother questioned the child, who disclosed that Gahornu had repeatedly sexually abused her between July and August 2026.

The prosecution said the convict lived in the same neighbourhood as the family, with his wooden sleeping quarters located about 40 metres from their residence.

Gahornu allegedly threatened to kill the child if she disclosed the abuse to her mother, according to the prosecution.

The case was reported to the police after Gahornu’s granddaughter reportedly caught him abusing the child on August 31 and informed other family members, who subsequently alerted the girl’s mother.

The child was later referred for medical examination. MyJoyOnline reported that she experienced lower abdominal pain, painful urination and faecal incontinence following the abuse.

In sentencing the convict, the court reportedly considered that he was a first-time offender, had pleaded guilty and had already spent about a month in lawful custody.

However, the court imposed the consecutive sentences, citing the need for punishment to deter others from committing similar offences.

The Accra Regional Police Command subsequently welcomed the conviction and urged members of the public to report suspected cases of child abuse promptly for investigation and appropriate legal action.

In a statement reported by Ghanaian media on October 12, the command said the conviction followed investigations by the Tesano Divisional Police Command.o

The case adds to the reported prosecutions of child sexual abuse in Ghana and highlights the criminal justice system’s response to offences against minors.