47-year-old man sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping 17-year-old daughter

A Ghanaian court has sentenced a 47-year-old man to 20 years in prison with hard labour after finding him guilty of repeatedly raping his biological daughter over several years.

The court also convicted him of threatening to kill the victim if she disclosed the abuse.

The convict, Kwame Ti-Zaaeku, was sentenced by the Lawra Circuit Court in Ghana’s Upper West Region after prosecutors proved that he had repeatedly sexually assaulted his daughter, who was a Junior High School student during the period of the abuse.

Court finds father guilty

According to investigators, the abuse continued for an extended period, with the victim allegedly living under constant intimidation.

Police said the father repeatedly threatened to kill his daughter if she revealed the assaults to anyone, preventing her from reporting the incidents sooner.

Following a full trial held on Friday, July 24, 2026, the Lawra Circuit Court, presided over by His Honour Stanley Adjei, found Ti-Zaaeku guilty of rape and making death threats against his biological daughter.

The court sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for the rape offence.

It also imposed an additional 10-year prison term with hard labour for threatening to kill the victim.

However, both sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will serve them at the same time.

Court orders support for survivor

In addition to the prison sentence, the court directed the Lawra Department of Social Welfare to provide the survivor with counselling and psychosocial support to aid her recovery and rehabilitation.

The Upper West Regional Police Command praised the investigators and the prosecuting team for their dedication and professionalism throughout the case.

The command said their commitment was crucial in securing the successful conviction and ensuring justice for the survivor.