November 19, 2021
By Hafsatu Z Bangura
Patrick Peace alias Pastor made his final appearance on the 18th November 2021 before Magistrate John-Bosco Alieu at the High Court No.1 of the High Court of Sierra Leone on one count charge of Sexual Penetration.
The accused person, Patrick Peace alias pastor pleaded not guilty to the offence of sexual penetration and was discharged and acquitted of all charges of sexual penetration due to the prosecution not submitting the charge statement of the accuse.
It was alleged that the accused Patrick peace alias pastor engaged in a sexual penetration with a 12yeras old class five student.
First prosecution witness (PW1) in a cross examination said he knew the accused as they live together in the same compound, she said on the 19th May, 2017 her mother sent her to fetch plantain from the store of Mahawa where the accused resides in the same compound.
The victim said her mother sent her to fetch plantain from the store of mahawa that she had bought, the accused said upon entering to the store room she realized the store room was completely dark and had to request for torch light to the accused of which the accused took advantage of her, grabbed her and raped her.
The victim continued that the she came out of the accused room and saw her mother, as at the time she was unable to walk properly and when questioned by her mother, the victim said she told the mother that the accused played with her breast and sexually tampered with her.
Second Prosecution witness (PW2), Edna Kamara mother of the victim said the accused is a neighbor and that she and the accused are not on speaking terms. She said she sent the victim to collect plantain from the house of mahawa she said she noticed that the victim had taken a bit long at the place of mahawa and she decided to go over to the place of mahawa and saw the victim’s slippers at the premises of mahawa and noticed the door was shut.
PW2 further stated that she pushed the door of the accused and the accused pushed the door from inside thus hereby preventing the victim’s mother from entering in to the room.
The victim’s mother said she then alerted neighbors and called mummy the wife of the husband who brought the accused. The victim’s mother said one room was occupied by the mahawa and a pantry in the said premises.
The victim’s mother said even though she and the accused are not on good speaking terms, she said she will not force her daughter to lie in court about the incident and that the distance from the victims house to the accused house is 6meters. She continued that according to the victim when she came out of the house of the accused said the store room was dark and had to go to the accused to borrow from
him a torch light to use, the victim’s mother said the accused refused the victim the torch light and dragged her into his room, shut the door and tampered with the victim, she said when asked the victim said the accused played with her breast and sexually tampered with her.
The grandfather of the accused upon hearing rushed to attack the accused but was stopped by neighbors and advised the victim’s mom to go for an examination to confirm if the accused sexually tampered with her.
Second prosecution witness concluded that she took the victim for an examination at the Rainbo center at PCMH and confirmed that the victim had been sexually tampered with.
Third Prosecution Witness (PW3) Dr. Olabisi Claudius Cole a Medical Practitioner said the victim was brought for examination at the Rainbo Center PCMH and confirmed that her hymen was completely ruptured and a tissue discharge of the victim and some form of penetration that the victim was sexually penetrated.
The judge Justice John Bosco-Alieu in his ruling said the accused person was discharged and acquitted of all sexual penetration offence and the prosecution fined for not submitting the charge statement of the accused hereby discharging the accused of the crime.
The Defense Counsel was represented by C Tucker while the state was represented by A Kargbo. The accused was discharged of the offence.