An appeals Court Judge presiding case at the sexual model Court in Freetown, Justice Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens has convicted and sentenced 40-year-old Hassan Sesay to 45 years in prison for sexually penetrating his fiancée’s 9-year-old daughter and her two nieces ages 10, and 11, in 2021 in Freetown.
He was charged under the 2019 amended Sexual Offences Act on two separate files – one on two counts of sexual penetration and the other on one count. He was given the minimum jail term of 15 years in prison each on all three counts.
Defense Counsel Lawyer Ansumana submitted that the court should acquit and discharge Hassan on the grounds of lack of corroboration and inconsistences.
He submitted that the prosecution failed to prove their case against the convict. The Prosecution led 4 witnesses, on each file including the three victims and formal witnesses.
Hassan Sesay sexually penetrated the 10 and 11 year old girls on the 18th October 2021 when they went to watch a movie at his Regent road residence and also sexually penetrated the 9 year old girl when she went to fetch water for him upon his instruction.
After the sexual penetration on the 10 and 11 year old victims, they kept quiet all along as they were afraid to tell the truth and exposed the convict but they break the silence after they saw blood on the underwear of the 9 year old girl and they discovered she too has been sexually penetrated by the convict Hassan Sesay who was a Step father to the 9 year old girl.
Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens found him Hassan Sesay guilty on both files as according to him, the Prosecutor Janneh B Kamara has prove the case of the Prosecution on both files against Hassan based on sufficent evidence adduced in court by the 8 Prosecution witnesses. According to the Judge, what the convict Hassan did to the 9,10, and 11 year old girls was unbearable, an harmful Act and acted wrongly and badly against the children who trusted and look up to him as fatherly figure.
Defense Counsel, Joshua Ansumana appealed for a minimal sentence that should run concurrently on all three count charges saying his client Hassan has regretted his crime and is remorseful of his action but Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens said what the defense seeks for was bad in law. Adding that the new sexual offences law makes it clear on sentencing which he is bound to by Law.
Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens sentenced the Forty year old Hassan Sesay to fifteen years imprisonment on each count and said the sentence should run consecutively which means Hassan will serve a total jail term of forty-five years imprisonment for sexually penetrating three girls ages; 9, 10, and 11.
By Alimatu Jalloh