An 87-year-old man, Yaw Gahornu, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl in Ofankor, a suburb of Accra, Ghana.
Gahornu was convicted by the Gender-Based Violence Court following investigations by the Tesano Divisional Police Command, the Accra Regional Police Command disclosed in a statement issued on October 12, 2026.
The case came to light on August 29, after the victim’s mother returned from work and discovered bloodstains on her daughter’s clothing.
According to the police, the girl subsequently revealed that Gahornu had repeatedly sexually abused her between July and August 2026.
Investigators said the convict allegedly lured the child to his sleeping quarters and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse to her mother.
The incident was reportedly witnessed by Gahornu’s granddaughter on August 31, prompting her to inform family members, including the victim’s mother.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to Gahornu’s arrest and prosecution.
He was charged and arraigned before the Gender-Based Violence Court at the headquarters of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), where he was eventually found guilty.
The Accra Regional Police Command welcomed the conviction, describing it as part of ongoing efforts to protect children and other vulnerable members of society from abuse.
The Command urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of child abuse to the appropriate authorities to enable timely investigations and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
