By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Justice Manuela Harding has sentenced 35-year-old mechanic, Muctarr Jalloh to fifteen years imprisonment for sexually penetrating a 13-year-old girl.
Jalloh was arraigned for the last time on Thursday 30th November this year at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown.
Progress was made on the matter after the prosecution applied for evidence at the Magistrate Court to be used at the High Court.
The child victim who was the first prosecution witness said that the incident occurred on the 19th September 2019 when Jalloh was their neighbour. She said she went to the accused’s room in search of water when he grabbed and tied her mouth with a cloth and sexually penetrated her.
The child said that she heard both her mother and aunt calling her name but couldn’t respond because of the cloth used to gag her mouth. She added the accused had wanted to hide her slippers which was outside the room when the aunt saw him and signalled the mum.
She said that her mother later reported the matter to the police after she found out that the accused had tampered with her.
The detective who investigated the matter tendered photos of the crime scene and the Voluntary Caution statement (VCS) of the accused and statement of the victim.
Jalloh denied the allegations and relied on VCS made to the police and did not elect any witness to testify for him.
In the VCS, the accused said that the mother met him and the victim outside and claimed that he had penetrated her child.
The accused after being found guilty of the offence, wept and pleaded for mercy.
The defence lawyer, Randy Bangura in his plea, asked the judge to temper justice with mercy because his client was a first-time offender and remorseful of his action.
He added that the convict is also a father of an 8-year-old daughter and aging parents who live up country. He affirmed that Jalloh has vouched never to repeat his action or come close to minors.
He said the sex offender cannot tell the status quo of his family after spending three years on remand at the Correctional Centre.
Justice Harding took notice that the endorsed medical report proved that the child was sexually penetrated since there was medical evidence that proved so.
The judge also noted that the evidence proved that the victim was found inside the bedroom of Jalloh crying and that the mother immediately checked and saw blood on her pants.
“These issues are very strong corroborating evidences,” the judge said.
She also noted that Jalloh only cares for her child and not that of his neighbours. That he said renders him unfit in the society.
Justice Harding found Jalloh guilty as charged and sentenced him to fifteen years in prison.
She also ordered Jalloh to pay the sum of 10 million Leones as compensation upon release to the child because the said act might cause the victim childbearing complications and also psychological distress.
Copyright © Politico Online 01/12/21
