Ghana courts impose harsh penalties in Somanya child defilement cases

In the Eastern Region of Ghana, the Odumase Krobo Circuit Court sentenced 36‑year‑old tricycle operator Joseph Nyarko to twenty years of hard labour after he defiled a twelve‑year‑old girl and knowingly transmitted HIV. The court heard that Nyarko, a registered HIV patient, had stopped taking his medication and engaged in unprotected sexual encounters, leading to the victim’s infection.

In a separate case from the same circuit, 45‑year‑old mason Richard Langma was remanded in custody after being charged with defiling a two‑year‑old girl at Ogome near Somanya. Langma pleaded not guilty; the incident was reported on 24 June 2026, and the case has been adjourned to 13 July 2026.