By: Audrey Raymonda John
Justice Santigie Ibrahim Sorie Bangura of the High Court in Kono has sentenced 40-year-old Ibrahim Bockarie to 15 years’ imprisonment at the male correctional facility after finding him guilty of sexual penetration of a minor.
The accused was arraigned on a single count of sexual penetration of a child, contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (Act No. 12 of 2012), as repealed and replaced by Section 4(a)(iii) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act No. 8 of 2019).
According to the indictment, the offence occurred on 22 February 2025 in the Kono Judicial District, Eastern Province. The court heard that the convict engaged in sexual penetration with a girl under the age of 18, specifically a 14-year-old.
The prosecution, led by Charles Foday Sesay, called two witnesses, a medical doctor and a police detective whose testimonies established the case against the accused. The prosecutor also informed the court that the convict had no prior criminal record.
Defense counsel, Alpha Osman Kamara, in his plea in mitigation, urged the court to show leniency. He argued that the convict was a first-time offender and a relatively young man with the potential for reform. He therefore pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy by imposing the minimum sentence.
In his ruling, Justice Bangura stated that he had carefully considered the allocutus of the convict and the plea in mitigation presented by defense counsel, particularly noting that the convict did not waste the court’s time. However, he described the offence as “despicable” and emphasized the need for the judiciary to take firm action to curb the growing menace of sexual abuse against children.
Consequently, the court sentenced the convict to 15 years’ imprisonment.