87-year-old man jailed 20 years for defiling 9-year-old girl

An 87-year-old man, Yaw Gahornu, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for repeatedly sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl who lived in his neighbourhood at Ofankor in Accra.

Gahornu was convicted by the Police Headquarters Gender-Based Violence Court after pleading guilty to two counts of defilement.

The court handed him a 10-year sentence on each count, with the terms to be served consecutively. He was, however, discharged on a separate charge of unnatural carnal knowledge.

The abuse was uncovered after the girl’s mother, a 42-year-old trader, returned from work on August 29, 2026, and noticed blood on her daughter’s underwear.

When questioned, the child reportedly identified Gahornu as the perpetrator, telling her mother that he had sexually abused her on several occasions whenever she went outside to play. Gahornu lived in a wooden structure about 40 metres from the family’s home.

According to the prosecution, the abuse took place between July and August 31, when Gahornu was allegedly caught in the act.

Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyei, who led the prosecution, told the court that Gahornu had threatened to kill the child if she revealed the abuse to her mother.

The case was brought to the attention of authorities on August 31 after Gahornu was allegedly found abusing the girl by his granddaughter. She reported the incident to her uncle, who subsequently informed the child’s mother. The matter was then reported to the police.

The girl was later taken for medical examination. Police said she was in stable condition but had suffered lower abdominal pain, painful urination and faecal incontinence as a result of the abuse.

Gahornu, who is unemployed, admitted to both counts of defilement and was convicted based on his plea.

In determining the sentence, the court considered that Gahornu was a first-time offender, had pleaded guilty and had already spent about a month in custody.

Despite these mitigating factors, the court imposed the 20-year sentence, citing the growing prevalence of defilement cases and the need for the punishment to deter others from committing similar offences.

Gahornu will serve the two 10-year sentences consecutively.