Police at Agogo in the Ashanti Region have arrested a herdsman for raping a woman on a farm.
Thirty-two-year-old Abubakari Aliu allegedly chased the lady with a machete, overpowered and forcibly had sex with her farm at nearby Nsonyameye.
He fled after committing the alleged crime and left the 19-year-old victim to her fate in the bush.
Clashes between herdsmen and natives and other residents in the Agogo Area over the years have turned bloody and left in their trail a lot of casualties.
Natives accuse the nomads and their marauding cattle of destroying farms as well as committing murder, rape and other crimes that leave locals devastated. Many rape victims hardly report their ordeal for due to stigmatization and of collapsing their relationships.
Assembly member for Ananekrom, Peter Abaje believes the people of Agogo have been vindicated of rape claims.
“Previously when we report a case of rape we were not taken serious. People keep saying we should bring evidence, which has now has been confirmed. It means it is true; they [herdsmen] have been raping them [women].
“But most of the time some of them are always afraid to come out boldly to say they were raped by herdsmen especially those who are married.”
Mr Abaje said the latest victim is, however, one of the few to have the courage to report to police after first informing him.
She had arrived in the area from the Northern region less than a month ago when she suffered the abuse.
Information available to Nhyira News suggests the young lady was sowing maize on the field when the mask-wearing herdsman attacked them.
Her sister-in-law who was with her managed to escape and raised an alarm in the Nsonyameye Community. An intervention, led by the Odikro and some youth came late after the herdsmen had bolted after the act.
The traumatized lady is yet to come to terms with the incident and has refused to eat.
“She was crying the whole of the day. It is very difficult for her because she got married about a year ago so she was thinking about how the husband will feel when he hears what has happened,” Mr. Abaje said.
The victim has since been treated and discharged at the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital.
A team of police investigators however visited the scene on Thursday to retrieve the woman’s tattered underwear and broken beads as investigation begins.
Women in the community say their anxiety has now heightened as the victim demands justice.
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