By Francis H. Murray
Justice Jamesina King of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced thirty-five (35) year-old Alimamy Conteh, a labourer, to thirteen (13) years imprisonment after he was found guilty of sexual penetration of a 13 year-old girl.
Delivering her judgement, Justice King said she was satisfied that the prosecution had proven its case beyond doubt and therefore found the accused guilty of the offence charged, adding that she found the evidence against the accused to be unshaken during cross-examination as well.
Conteh was standing trial on a one count indictment of sexual penetration.
In her evidence, the complainant identified the accused as a resident of the same community where she lived. She recalled that on 25th January, 2018 on her way home from a private class, she saw him drinking alcohol in a public bar.
“He shouted my name from afar and told me to see him at home,” said the complainant, adding that, “he later went to my mother to have a ten thousand leones note changed, and thereafter he asked me to see him at his house and I went.”
The victim said she was forcefully grabbed and undressed by the accused who went on to aggressively penetrate her. The matter was then reported to the Family Support Unit of the Kissy Police Station.
According to the medical examination conducted on the victim, there were no physical injuries discovered on her but her hymen was completely ruptured and there were also yellowish discharge discovered on her private part.
The prosecution called four witnesses including a medical doctor during the course of the trial.
At the end of the prosecution’s case, defence lawyer for the accused person, Mamakoh Kallon, informed the court that he relied on his client’s statement to the police.
The convict’s term of imprisonment includes the time already spent in detention.
The prosecution had alleged that the accused person on the 25th January 2018, in the Western Area of Freetown, engaged in an act of sexual penetration contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012.
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