Kwabenya: The Kwabenya Circuit Court has sentenced a 58-year-old mason, Joshua Bledi, to 10 years imprisonment for engaging in incestuous acts with his daughter. Bledi, who impregnated his 17-year-old daughter resulting in the birth of a child, pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to Ghana News Agency, Bledi admitted to the crime and appealed for mercy, acknowledging the prosecution's narrative as accurate. The court, considering Bledi's age, the premeditated nature of the offense, and his decision to plead guilty, sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Gershon Togbe Achondo, highlighted the increasing frequency of such cases and urged for a severe sentence to deter others, describing the act as culturally abominable.
Chief Inspector Achondo informed the court that the complainant in the case was a social welfare worker at the Ga East Hospital. The victim, a 17-year-old hairdresser apprentice, gave birth to a seven-month-old baby. The investigation revealed that the victim, residing with her father Bledi in Musuku, Kwabenya, had gone to the hospital for delivery and faced financial difficulties in settling her medical bills. The Social Welfare Department intervened, waiving her bills, and inquired about the child's paternity. The victim disclosed that Bledi was responsible, revealing that he had engaged in numerous sexual acts with her since she began living with him upon her mother's request.
A report was subsequently made to the Kwabenya Domestic Violence and Victim's Support Unit, and a police medical report facilitated the victim's examination at the hospital, leading to Bledi's arrest. Meanwhile, the Abuse Relief Corps, a non-profit organisation, has extended support to the victim and her child.
