By Audrey John
At the Criminal session of the High Court Holden in Freetown on the 18th day of March 2022 before Justice Komba Kamanda, JA Alhaji Baima Kanneh was standing trial on one count of
Sexual Penetration contrary to section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012 Act No. 12 of 2012 as repealed and Replaced by section 4(a)(iii) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2019 Act No.8 of 2019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 particulars of offence on a date unknown between the 11th August and 5th of September 2021 in Freetown engaged in an act of Sexual penetration with a child
The Prosecution led four witnesses including the victim said that the accused person was her boyfriend; the accused person took her to his house when they met sometimes in August 2021 after she absconded from home.
She said the accused person proposed love to her and subsequently he has been sexually penetrating her since then.
However, the Honourable judge Komba Kamanda JA in delivering his judgement found the evidence of the prosecution to be substantial and overwhelming against the accused. He said taking advantage of a child and keep her for almost a month in the accused Person’s house without taking the child at least to the police station is unacceptable and the court will send a message that the perpetrators of such act will be severely punished. He therefore sentenced the accused person to 26 years imprisonment.
The State Prosecutor was Yusif Isaac Sesay and H. Momoh from the legal aid Board represented the Accused Person.
