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“Lance Corporal Emmanuel often sends me on errands so I became free with him and anytime my father leaves for work, he can come into our room and force himself on me …”

These are the words of a 12-year-old junior high school student who has accused Lance Corporal Emmanuel Bartels of defiling her three times.

According to the victim, a JHS 1 student of St Joseph Catholic School, the police officer attached to the National Protection Unit at the headquarters but stationed at the 37 Mobile Post is responsible for her pregnancy.

She made this known in an interview with DAILY GUIDE yesterday.

She narrated that after getting pregnant, she could not tell her parents until her father, who became suspicious due to some changes in her body, queried her.

“I was afraid my dad would beat me so I could not mention the incident to him until he found out himself and I had to tell him the truth since I could not hide the pregnancy anymore,” she posited.

The father, Mawunyegah Quarshie, told DAILY GUIDE that after the daughter had confessed that she was defiled by Lance Corporal Bartels, he immediately reported the matter to the ministries branch of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service for investigation and the necessary action.

Giving the genesis of the story, Mr Quarshie narrated that Lance Corporal Bartels was a tenant in his house for two years.

“I rented a chamber and a hall apartment to him together with his wife and three children from 2012 to 2014 at Abeka Lapaz New Market.

“While living in my house, he was very close to my daughter; he often sent her on errands anytime his wife was not available.”

The aggrieved father said he recently noticed some changes in his daughter and wondered what was happening.

“I became suspicious when my daughter, who often asks for money to buy sanitary pads, was no longer coming for money to buy them and I queried her,” Mr Quarshie said.

“After the report was lodged to the police, I followed up with a doctor’s report on April 27, 2015,” he added.

Later on when the police invited Lance Corporal Bartels for questioning, he denied the allegation.

Police report revealed that DOVVSU asked the victim   to undergo age assessment test because she looked older than her age.

The report indicated that when the test was conducted a report was issued, with DOVVSU claiming the girl might be 17 years old.

But Mr Quarshie added that he was gathering the birth certificate and other school documents of his daughter to prove that she is indeed 12 years.