By: Audrey Raymonda John
Honourable Justice Andrew S. C. Johnson has sentenced 39-year-old Ibrahim Tarawalie to 25 years imprisonment following his conviction for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against a one-year-old child.
The offence, which violates Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861, involved the deliberate burning of the child’s hands over red-hot charcoal. The victim, Abu Bakarr Dolleh, suffered severe burns, permanent scaring, and disfigurement.
The prosecution presented evidence that on 31st July 2024, Tarawalie unlawfully and maliciously wounded the child in Freetown. The act was allegedly carried out as punishment for the infant’s supposed theft of soup.
During the trial, the State, represented by I. A. Kamara, called three witnesses, including a police officer. The investigating officer testified that the child was brought to the station with both hands severely burned. An eyewitness recounted that the convict had previously threatened to burn the child’s hands and, on the day of the incident, held the infant’s hands on red-hot charcoal for several seconds while the child screamed in pain.
A schoolteacher, who had noticed the child’s absence for some time, later advised the child’s siblings to report the matter to the police.
In his defence, Tarawalie pleaded not guilty and relied on his earlier denial statement to the police, as presented by his lawyer, O. V. Gerber.
Delivering judgement, Justice Johnson stated that the prosecution had proven the act to be deliberate, premeditated, cruel, and sadistic. He emphasized that the convict had breached the trust entrusted to him by the Ministry of Social Welfare. Justice Johnson concluded that the severity and cruelty of the offence warranted a custodial sentence of 25 years imprisonment.