Kwabenya mason jailed 10 years for impregnating his 17-year-old daughter

The Kwabenya Circuit Court has sentenced a 58-year-old mason, Joshua Bledi, to 10 years in prison for incest after impregnating his 17-year-old daughter.

Bledi, who pleaded guilty, admitted to repeated sexual abuse, resulting in the birth of a child now seven months old.

He appealed for leniency, but the court — taking into account his age, premeditation, and guilty plea — imposed the custodial sentence.

Chief Inspector Gershon Togbe Achondo told the court that such offences were becoming increasingly common and described them as a “cultural abomination.”

He urged the court to impose a harsh sentence to deter others.

The complainant, a social welfare worker at Ga East Hospital, discovered the abuse when the victim sought medical help during childbirth and could not pay her hospital bills.

After the hospital waived the fees, inquiries revealed that Bledi was the father of the baby.

The victim further disclosed that the abuse began when her mother asked her to live with Bledi at Musuku, Kwabenya. Police investigations confirmed the allegations, and a medical examination was carried out before Bledi’s arrest.

The Abuse Relief Corps, a non-profit organisation, has since stepped in to provide assistance to the victim and her child.

GNA