For the rape and robbery of four British schoolgirls and their instructor at gunpoint in Ghana, three men have been sentenced to 73 years in prison each, by a High Court in Accra.
The case, which was purposefully kept under wraps to prevent the British kids from being identified, came to a close on Thursday with a statement that even forbade naming the UK police force involved in case doing so led to the victims’ identity.
The rapes and robberies took place shortly after the UK students and their teachers arrived in Ghana for their international tour. According to local media, the school group included two instructors, four female students, and six male students.
Ishmael Akyene, a native of Ghana, Daniel Akpan, a native of Nigeria, and Edem Asuquo, a native of Nigeria, were the three accused.
The police said in a statement following the sentencing in Ghana, ‘Three men have been convicted and sentenced following an investigation by police in Ghana, which has been supported by a UK police force.
‘All three men have been sentenced to 73 years imprisonment each. 23 years for firearms offences, 25 years for robbery offences and 23 years for rape. All of the men will serve their sentences concurrently,’ the statement said. This means that the men will serve the highest of the three punishments, which is 25 years.
‘All three men pleaded guilty at a court hearing in Accra in Ghana,’ the police said.
‘The convictions are in connection with an incident, which occurred in December, 2018 in which a group of pupils and teachers from a UK school travelled to Ghana. The school or area where they were from cannot be named for legal reasons.
‘Shortly after their arrival, a number of armed men entered the accommodation where the group was staying. The group were held at gunpoint, and the female victims were subjected to serious sexual assaults,’
The prisoners will work diligently to complete their jail terms, according to Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh.
In December 2018, the three were accused of committing the offences at a guest home. They were apprehended after being recognised on video from an ATM where they had gone to use bank cards they had stolen from the victims to extract cash. After linking one of their phones, the police located them.
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