Driver, 39, jailed 20 years for defiling co-tenant’s six-year-old daughter

After pleading guilty to defiling his co-tenant's six-year-old daughter, a 39-year-old driver has been convicted and jailed for 20 years.

Daniel Hodzi was convicted on his own guilty plea on his first appearance before the court presided over by Her Honour, Mrs Christiana Cann.

Hodzi was charged with defilement after he was said to have lured the girl into his room on the pretext to give her meat, and he is to serve his sentence in hard labour.

The brief facts of the case presented to the court by DSP Agnes Boafo, the prosecutor, was that Complainant Irene Kyeremanteng is a trader living at Ebenezer Down, Dansoman, with her daughter (name withheld) aged six years.

Whilst accused Daniel Hodzi, 39, is a driver.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant and the accused live in the same compound.

DSP Boafo said, on February 5, 2022, at about 4:30 pm, whilst the complainant was doing laundry in the house, the accused lured the victim into his room under the pretext of giving her meat and had sexual intercourse with her.

The prosecutor explained that luck, however, eluded him when the complainant shouted the victim's name to come and assist her while the accused was in the course of having sex with her.

The victim, DSP Boafo said, then came out from the accused room crying, and she narrated her ordeal in the hands of the accused to her adding that this is the fourth time the accused has done that to her.

"The complainant then undressed the victim and saw sperm-like substance on the inner part of her vagina and took photographs of it.

"Thereafter, she confronted the accused person who admitted the offence and pleaded for leniency," the prosecutor told the court.

DSP Boafo said, "with the help of some neighbours, the accused person was arrested and handed over to the Dansoman Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit Police and a complaint lodged against him.

"He was re-arrested and detained for further investigations. Police medical report form was issued to the complainant to send the victim to a government hospital for endorsement and report, which she did."

According to the prosecution, in his investigation cautioned statement, he stated that he only brushed the victim's vagina but did not penetrate her.

"After investigations, the accused was charged with the offence and arraigned before this honourable court," the prosecutor noted.