Herbalist, 45, jailed for defiling 10-year-old boy

A 45-year-old herbalist and farmer from Plotso, a suburb of Asankrangwa in the Western Region, Nana Kwaku Dum, has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard by the Tarkwa circuit court for sodomising a 10-year-old boy three times.  

Dum, who was held for sodomy pleaded guilty to the charge, and the court presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu, convicted him on his own plea.

Chief Inspector Adams Mumuni, who led the prosecution, said the victim resided at Yirase with his mother and grandmother.

He said in 2023, the victim went to Asankrangwa and around 7 pm, went to the Yirase lorry station to board a vehicle home, but there was no vehicle available.

The court heard that as the victim sat alone at the lorry station, Dum spotted him from afar, got closer and offered to take the victim home so he could spend the night there and continue his journey the next day.

The prosecution said the victim accepted the offer and followed Dum to his house, and they slept on the same bed in his room.

Chief Inspector Mumuni said while the victim was fast asleep, Dum applied a substance around his anus and had sex with him through his anus.

It said the victim suddenly woke up while, the sexual act was ongoing, and Dum quickly wore his boxer shorts and threatened to kill the victim if he told anyone.

The prosecutor said Dum locked the victim in his room for three days and had sex with him through his anus on three occasions, but the victim managed to escape on the fourth day.

The prosecution said when the victim got home, he narrated what happened to him to his mother and she reported the matter to the police, Dum was subsequently arrested and cautioned before an independent witness.