August 25, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
The accused person Issa Kamara has made his final appearance before Justice Musu Damba Kamara on the 16th August, 2021 at the High Court in Freetown. The accused person is before the court one count charge for raping a 7 years old girl contrary to section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act No.12 of 2012.
According to police charge sheets, the accused person is said to have sexually penetrated the 7 years girl at Susan’s Bay Community Central Freetown on the 15th April, 2019. According to police evidence in court, the accused person is said to have begged for mercy at the Police station after he learnt that there was overwhelming evidence against him for the allegation.
The accused person and the victim were found at an unfinished building at night. Victim was said to have been engulfed at the upper part of the victim with his trousers pulled halfway down his legs. According to the mother of the victim in court she explained that semen and blood was found on the pants of the victim which belonged to the accused person. 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 of sexually transmitted disease.
The report says it is unusual for such a disease to be present in a seven (7) years girl child. The medical report also found that there was a rupture of the child’s hymen and this type of rupture suggested that it was due to either a sexual penetration by penis or fingers.
Justice Musu Damba Kamara, said from evidences given, stated that there was overwhelming circumstantial evidence that pointed that the accused person is more likely to have penetrated the victim at the said unfinished building. Defense Lawyer Komba Kanu, in his plea mitigation, begged to temper justice with mercy. The defense lawyer continued to plead with the bench that the accused person if a first time offender and a young man of twenty (20) years.
Defense counsel also continued to draw reference to the tears shed by the accused person as sign of his remorsefulness for the crime he was arraigned for before the court. Responding to the plea made by the defense counsel the State Counsel Elizabeth Jalloh assisted the court that maximum punishment for the said crime is a jail term of fifteen (15) years.
Justice Musu Damba Kamara sentences the accused person Issa Kamara to six (6) years inclusive of the time he has spent on remand at the Male Correctional Centre Pademba Road.