Former Convict Sentenced to 48 Years Over School Defilement Case
Ex-convict teacher jailed 48 years after court finds him guilty of abusing a 7-year-old pupil weeks into his new teaching job in Accra.
- Formerly convicted teacher sentenced to 48 years for defiling 7-year-old pupil.
- Offence occurred just weeks after gaining employment at the school
- Prior defilement conviction in 2011 had resulted in a 15-year sentence
An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Sokah Phidels Load, a 47-year-old teacher and former convict, to 48 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after he was found guilty of defiling a 7-year-old girl at a basic school in Accra.
The verdict was delivered by His Honour G.A. Inkumsah-Ishum after a full trial in which the accused, despite pleading not guilty, was found culpable based on the evidence presented.
According to Chief Inspector Edna Aningah, who led the prosecution, Mr. Sokah had previously served a reduced 15-year sentence for a similar offence, having originally been sentenced to 25 years in 2011. He completed that sentence in 2020.
The incident leading to the current conviction occurred on February 6, 2025, just three weeks after Mr. Sokah began work at the school. The young pupil involved had gone to place a drink in the school’s fridge when she was reportedly invited into the teacher’s office. The prosecution said the teacher later took her to the staff washroom, where the inappropriate act occurred.
The victim confided in another pupil, which led to the school authorities becoming aware of the incident. The matter was promptly reported to the police, and the child was given medical care.
Following the report, Mr. Sokah fled and went into hiding. He was later traced and arrested on March 13, 2025, in Santeo, a suburb of Accra, after weeks of surveillance.
The case has raised concerns about background checks and safety procedures in school recruitment processes.
Authorities are now being urged to strengthen systems to better protect children in educational settings.
