By Francis H. Murray
One Sulaiman Gibateh has been sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment after he was found guilty of two counts of sexual penetration and sexual touching against a 15-year old girl.
Delivering his judgment on Monday 15th March 2021, Justice Momoh Jah Stevens said that the evidence adduced before the court indicated that the incident took place in January 2019 and that the victim told the court that the accused took her to his house because he was a close friend of her father.
She told the court that at first, the accused used to request her to allow him orally penetrate her but that on one of such occasions, the accused proceeded to sexually penetrate her.
Justice Stevens further said the accused had warned the victim not to tell anyone about the incident adding that the police investigator also informed the court that the victim and her father took the accused to the police station and reported a case of sexual penetration against him which was followed by the issuance of a police medical report.
He noted that from the medical examination conducted on the victim, it was discovered that her vagina was completely ruptured with offensive yellowish discharge resulting from sexual penetration.
The judge said after examining the evidence before the court, he was convinced that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the 35-year old accused was guilty of the offence as charged.
The judge used the occasion to warn that the country will not be safe with the existence of such acts especially where the offenders are allowed to move freely after committing such offences, adding that if justice was not served, there will be no deterrent for future offenders.
State Prosecutor Jenneh B. Kamara led in evidence two witnesses including the police investigator during the course of the trial while the accused relied on his statement to the police.
Meanwhile, Justice Stevens has discharged Joseph Koffie and Mohamed Sesay of a one count of sexual penetration of a child for lack of evidence.
The state prosecutor told the court that she had sent several subpoenas to both formal and factual witnesses in respect of the matter but none of them had come to court at any time.
The judge said the mandate of the court is to dispense justice to both the victim and the accused person, which he described as the key to the principle of fair trial and in the circumstance, discharged the matter.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (17/03/21)
