On July 17, 2025, the Dansoman Circuit Court sentenced 39-year-old taxi driver Joseph Ammisah to 12 years in prison for defiling a 14-year-old girl in Mataheko, near Dansoman, Accra.
Presided over by Judge Halimah Al-Alawa Abdul-Bassit, the court found Ammisah guilty after a trial, despite his not guilty plea. The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, revealed that Ammisah lured the victim into his red car, gave her a Coke laced with a white substance, and sexually assaulted her on October 28, 2023. He then gave her GH¢2.00 and threatened her life if she disclosed the incident.
The victim, who lives with her mother in Mataheko Pharmacy and often spent weekends with her aunt, a businesswoman in Lapaz, appeared visibly weak after the assault, prompting her aunt to investigate.
The victim’s disclosure led to a complaint filed with the Odorkor Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), resulting in Ammisah’s arrest. Although he denied the allegations during interrogation, a medical examination confirmed the assault, with a completed police medical form endorsed by a qualified practitioner.
Ammisah claimed a prior cordial relationship with the victim’s mother, admitting he mocked her for dating an older taxi driver after she rejected his romantic advances, which strained their communication.
The court, however, upheld the prosecution’s evidence, sentencing Ammisah under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act for defilement, which carries a minimum seven-year penalty for victims under 16.
The case underscores ongoing efforts by DOVVSU to combat sexual violence, with the prosecution emphasizing the need for community vigilance to protect minors.
