Court remands teacher over alleged rape of student

The Nsuta Circuit Court has ordered a senior high school (SHS) teacher accused of raping a first-year student to be held in police custody.

The plea of Joseph Marfo, 48, was not taken and he was ordered to make his next appearance on February 23.

Police Chief Inspector Nana Boamah told the court, presided over by the Lydia Osei Marfo that the incident happened on January 8.

Saint Joseph SHS in Asante-Mampong, where the accused has been teaching Home Economics was reopening on that day and he had called to convince the mother of the victim to allow her to join his daughter, who was in the same house with the victim, to report together to school the next day.

The prosecution said the girl arrived at the Mampong lorry terminal at about 3:30 pm and Mr Marfo sent his house help to go and bring her in.

As night fell, he showed her to a room and whilst there the accused entered and put out the light, something that made the victim become suspicious.

Sensing danger, the victim told the teacher that she wanted to go out to urinate, to use that as an opportunity to escape, but that did not work out as he readily provided her with a chamber pot.

The prosecution said the girl politely declined the use of the chamber pot and went back to sleep, only to be gripped and raped later by Marfo.

She informed her school mates the next morning about her painful experience and waited until February 5, when her mother visited, to tell her about her ordeal.

The mother lodged an official complaint with the police and he was arrested.

Inspector Boamah said Mr Marfo in his statement admitted having had sex with the victim but insisted it was consensual.

Source: GNA