By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Justice Musu Damba Kamara has sentenced one Issa Kamara to 6 years imprisonment after being convicted for sexually penetrating a 7-year-old girl in Freetown.
Kamara, 20, made his final appearance in court on Monday 16th August 2021 at the High Court in Freetown on a charge of sexual penetration of a child contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act No. 12 of 2012.
According to the particulars of offence, Kamara alias Maada, was said to have sexually penetrated the child at Susan’s Bay Community on the 15th of April 2019.
According to the evidence in court, Kamara had reportedly begged for mercy at the Police station after he learnt that there was overwhelming evidence against him for the then allegation and that there was no one to fight his case.
Also, the judge found from testimonies by witnesses that Kamara and the victim were found at an unfinished building at night with his trousers pulled halfway down his legs.
Evidence that was given by the mother of the victim in court also alluded that semen and blood were found on the pants of the child. This suggested that the semen belonged to Kamara. The evidence was further corroborated by the medical report which found out that the victim had not only been penetrated but also exhibited symptoms thought to be that of a sexually transmitted disease. The said report also noted it is unusual for such a disease to be present in a 7-year-old.
The medical report also found out that there was a rupture of the child’s hymen. The type of rupture further suggested that it was due to either a sexual penetration by the penis or finger(s).
Justice Kamara, from the evidence given stated that there was ‘overwhelming circumstantial evidence’ that pointed that the accused was more likely to have penetrated the victim at the said unfinished building.
Lawyer Komba Kanu, in his plea for mitigation, begged the judge to temper justice with mercy. Kanu also pleaded with the judge that Kamara is a first time offender and a young man of 20 years of age. He drew reference to the tears shed by the penetrator as a sign of his remorsefulness for the crime he was being arraigned for.
Elizabeth Jalloh, State Prosecutor informed the court that the maximum punishment for such a crime is a jail term of 15 years. She also noted that Kamara had been on remand since April 2019.
The judge sentenced Kamara to 6 years inclusive of the time he has spent on remand at the Pademba Road Correctional Centre.
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