An 87-year-old man, identified as Yaw Gahornu, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty of defiling a nine-year-old girl at Ofankor, a suburb of Accra.
The Tesano Divisional Police Command secured the sentence following the prosecution of Gahornu before the Gender-Based Violence Court at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) Headquarters, according to a Ghana Police Service press release dated October 12, 2026.
The case came to light on August 29, 2026, when the complainant returned from work and noticed bloodstains on the clothing of her nine-year-old daughter.
According to the police statement, questioning the child led to the disclosure that Gahornu had allegedly subjected her to repeated sexual abuse between July and August 2026.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that on 29th August 2026, the complainant returned from work and noticed bloodstains on the clothing of her nine-year-old daughter. Upon questioning the child, she disclosed that the accused person, Yaw Gahornu, had allegedly subjected her to repeated sexual abuse between July and August 2026, involving both vaginal and anal penetration,” the statement said.
Further investigations revealed that the accused allegedly lured the child to his sleeping quarters and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse to her mother.
The police statement said: “Further investigation also revealed that the suspect allegedly lured the child to his sleeping quarters and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the alleged abuse to her mother.”
The alleged abuse was reportedly witnessed by the accused’s granddaughter on August 31, 2026. She subsequently informed family members, including the complainant, leading to a report to the police.
The statement said, “On 31st August 2026, the alleged abuse was reportedly witnessed by the accused’s granddaughter, who subsequently informed family members, including the complainant, and the matter was reported to the Police.”
Gahornu was subsequently charged and arraigned before the Gender-Based Violence Court at the DOVVSU Headquarters, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defilement.
The Accra Regional Police Command welcomed the outcome of the case and reiterated its commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable persons.
