High Court Judge at the Sexual Offences Model Court, Justice Manuella Harding has sentenced an herbalist Ibrahim Tarawallie, 65, after he sexually penetrated a nine- year-old girl from his neighborhood.
The incident took place in Freetown on Wednesday August 21, 2019.
During the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses including the victim and the police medical doctor Olabisi Claudius Cole who adduced sufficient evidence against the accused linking him to sexual penetration offence.
The convict in his defense during the trial called no witnesses but relied on his denial statement which he made to the police.
After going through the entire evidence presented in court, Justice Manuella Harding said, according to the victim’s evidence in court, the convict has been sexually penetrating her since she was eight years.
The judge further mentioned that the convict Ibrahim Tarawallie was caught red-handed sexually penetrating the victim.
The judge however, noted that the convict is one the men that is involve in abusing girls, adding that girls are not safe around him.
Justice Manuella Harding sentenced him to 15 years in prison, noting that his sentence will serve as warning to others.
In another development, Hon. Justice Abdulai Mohamed Momoh-Jah Stevens, presiding over cases at the Sexual Offences Model court, has recently sentenced one Sulaiman Jubateh to 15 years in prison.
The accused who identified himself as a Labourer was charged on two counts of sexual penetration of a child contrary to section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act No. 12 of 2012, and sexual touching contrary to section 20 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act.
According to the particulars of the offence, the accused Sulaiman Jubateh on an unknown date between January 1, 2019 and on November22, 2019 in the Western Area engaged in an act of sexual penetration with a child.
The accused pleaded not guilty to both count charges.
The prosecution filed a trial by judge alone, and led two witnesses while the accused didn’t present any witness.
According to the medical report, the hymen of the victim was partially ruptured.
Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. He said the accused being an adult disadvantaged the victim and exploited her sexually by penetrating his penis into the victim’s vagina.
He sentenced the culprit 10 years in prison on court one and five years in prison on count two.
By Alimatu Jalloh
22/03/2021. ISSUE NO: 8025