Justice Momoh Jah Stevens presiding the Sexual Offense Model Court on Friday, May 20, 2022, sentenced 33-year-old Alhaji Fofana to 15 years in prison for sexually penetrating an eight-year-old girl.
The convict was before the court on one count of sexual penetration of a child contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012, as repealed and replaced by Section 4 of the Sexual Offence (Amendment) Act, 2019.
State counsel, Janneh B. Sesay alleged that the convict on a date unknown between January 1, 2022 and March 5, 2022 in Freetown, engaged in an act of sexual penetration with an eight-year-old girl.
Before the accused was convicted and sentenced, state counsel led her first prosecution witness, who is the victim.
The victim said she knew the accused as their security and recalled on the date in question.
She said whenever she went downstairs to play, the accused use to take her into an unknown room in the house and sexually penetrated her.
She said one day, the accused take her inside the said room, removed her pant, place his mouth into her mouth and sexually penetrated her.
The victim narrated that the accused had sexual intercourse with her several times on an unknown date, adding that her parents knew about the matter when her aunty who used to wash her pants saw strange liquid on it. She said her aunt informed her mother about it.
The victim said her mother called her and asked her what the strange liquid was, and she later told her that it was the accused who had sex with her. She said that her mother later reported the matter to the police and were issued with police medical form for treatment at the Aberdeen Women’s Centre. she told the court that she later made statement at Adonkia police station.
The mother of the victim, the aunty, and the police investigator also testified in respect of the matter.
After their testimonies, the state counsel closed their case, and the accused told the court that he relied on his statement made to the police.
Giving his judgement, Justice Stevens said the accused was indicted on one count of sexual penetration and when the charge was put to him, he denied the allegation.
He said at the commencement of the matter, the prosecutor applied for the matter to be tried by judge alone which was granted.
Justice Stevens said the prosecutor called four witnesses to testified against the accused.
He said that there was sufficient evidence to show that indeed the accused penetrated the victim, so he found him guilty of sexual penetration.
However, the convict pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.
Justice Stevens gave him the maximum sentence of 15 years.
By Alimatu Jalloh