Teacher gets seven years in jail for Sodomy, defilement

Mensah Believe, a 27-year-old Junior High school teacher at Lume Ahugakope MA Basic School in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region, has been jailed for seven years by a Sogakope Circuit Court for defiling a 13-year-old student.

The convict, who teaches Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and English, during his appearance in Court on Wednesday, pleaded guilty to the crime of defiling a child under 16 years and sodomy.

Detective Chief Inspector Joseph Ajongbah, Prosecuting, told the Court presided over by Mr Joseph Mark Ali, that the convict, a trained teacher and a native of Dzodze, was engaged in the act with a 13-year-old male student of the same school.

He said the unacceptable activities of the young teacher in the community led to some individuals, who reported the issue to the Assembly member for action.

Mr Ali, the Sogakope Circuit Court Judge, after hearing the plea of the accused, convicted and sentenced him to hard labour on his plea of guilty.

The convict, the Ghana News Agency learnt, initially denied the allegations after he was reported to the Akatsi South Education Directorate for questioning.

The case was subsequently reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Akatsi Police, where he confessed to having engaged in the act.

Mr Prosper Agbeli, Chairman of the Akatsi South and North Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), on his part, has since condemned the act.

“He, however, appealed to authorities in the area to engage the Association in all teacher-related issues.”