By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Justice Manuela Harding has sentenced a man Thaimu Bangura aged 49- to life imprisonment for sexually penetrating an 11-year-old girl in Freetown.
The judgment was handed on Thursday 21 October 2021 at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown where Bangura was arraigned to answer to a charge of sexual penetration contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012, as amended in 2019. The crime reportedly occurred last year.
The State Prosecutor, Oladipo Robin-Mason, led in four witnesses which included the child victim who testified against Bangura.
In her testimony, she told the judge that it was during the lockdown while her mother had travelled and her father gone to work that Bangura asked her aunt he wanted send the girl on an errand. She said that the 49-year-old told her that he wanted her to purchase him Sierra Juice.
According to the girl, Bangura gave her the sum of Le 10,000 to purchase the juice and on her return he a grabbed her and placed his palm over her mouth. The victim said that the accused took her into his living room where he sexually penetrated her.
The evidence further revealed that the accused later told the child that the Le 5,000 change was for her.
The child also told the court that it was the following day when she went to visit her mother, who was a stone miner, she was able to explain what had transpired between her and Bangura. The mother later took her for medical check-up and then to the Police station. The evidence revealed that the girl was later taken to the Rainbo Centre where a medical form was issued.
The girl said the reason she did not inform her aunt was because she was afraid the aunt might tell the accused, which will cause him to flee. She said that was what prompted her to inform her mother the following day.
The accused who stated he relied on his statement to the Police said that it was the child victim that requested for sex while sitting on his lap.
The court, from all the evidences adduced in court, found out that the accused used the errand as a scheme to lure the victim to his living room at 6 in the evening. The judge also stated that there is consistency in the evidence given by the prosecution.
The court also noted apart from the victim, none of the witnesses testified that they were at the crime scene. The judge, however, said that there is corroboration of evidences between the victim and the other witnesses.
In his plea for mitigation on behalf of the accused, lawyer Randy Bangura from Legal Aid Board said that the 49-year-old is a father of four children. He said that his client is a breadwinner and first-time offender. He said the accused never brought in witnesses which could have wasted the court’s time, but rather relied on his earlier statement. She begged the judge to temper justice with mercy.
The accused, after he has been convicted, begged for mercy from the judge citing that his children depend on him.
Justice Harding sentenced the accused to life imprisonment. She noted that the accused should have been a role model not only to his children but others as well. She considered the accused to be selfish and believed that he had not learnt his lesson. She referenced the accused only being worried about his own children and not others like his neighbour’s child, who became a victim of his terrible act.
Copyright © Politico Online 22/10/21
