By Saio Marrah
Justice Samuel O Taylor has sentenced a 26-year-old teacher- Osman D. Kargbo, 24 year old Ibrahim Rogers, and Bockarie Sannoh (45) to ten years imprisonment each, after they were individually found guilty in separate cases of sexual penetration.
Before the sentence was handed down to teacher Kargbo at the Freetown High Court No.7, Justice Taylor said the man was indicted for having sexually penetrated an eight-year-old class three pupil on 20th December 2019, after he had sent her to buy top up for his mobile phone.
Justice Taylor said the victim told the court that the convict dragged her to his room and sexually penetrated her with his finger.
He said the grandma of the victim told the court that she noticed that the victim had been sexually penetrated. From that point, she enquired from the victim who said the convict did the act.
The presiding judge also noted in his judgment that the convict had testified that the incident never happened and that the convict further said he usually teaches the victim together with other children in front of their mothers in a compound. The convict also said his own daughter is also among those he taught.
The convict was also reported saying his wife would always be around when he was teaching the children.
However, the medical report proved that the victim was sexually penetrated.
The other convict, Rogers was said to have on 17 March 2020, sexually penetrated an 11-year-old victim.
The presiding judge told the court that the victim had testified in court that the accused took her along to go and sell, where he removed her dress and sexually penetrated her.
He said the victim further told the court how two men caught the convict committing the act at night when it was raining.
According to the presiding judge, during a cross examination of the victim by the convict, the victim continually insisted that the accused did sexually penetrate her.
Justice Taylor said one of the four witnesses testified to have seen the convict, who then called his friend and arrested him.
The court learnt from the presiding judge that the convict had testified saying it was the police who forced him to answer to the crime because the child was found sitting on his leg. The convict had reportedly argued that it was the reason police concluded he penetrated the child.
“In your testimony in court you gave a lot of inconsistencies…,” Justice Taylor told Rogers.
He also noted in his judgment that the medical report proved that the act took place and that the convict had told the court that the child was found on his legs.
The Defence Lawyer, Ibrahim Samba from Legal Aid Board, pleaded for mercy pointing out that the convict had already spent two years in prison and had learnt his lesson. But that didn’t sway the judge from passing sentence.
The third convict, Bockarie Sannoh was said to have sexually penetrated a 4-year-old victim on 27th February 2020.
Justice Taylor said the Prosecution Witness one (PW1) testified that he saw Sannoh holding the child by the hand leading her towards an unfinished building.
The victim had in her statement explained of being taken to the unfinished building and undressed by the accused who went on to sexually penetrate her.
According to the presiding judge, the victim said the convict first gave her alcohol (pega pack).
Justice Taylor asserted that the prosecution succeeded in proving their case.
Lawyer Idrissa A. Kamara from the Law Officer’s Department represented the state in all three cases.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (13/09/23)
