By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Hon. Justice Emmanuela Harding, Presiding over cases at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown on Wednesday 16th November 2022, sentenced twenty years old student, Ibrahim Hassan Gobeh to life imprisonment for sexually penetrating a three years old male child in his anus.
The convict, Ibrahim was arraigned before the Court on one count indictment of sexual penetration contrary to section 19 of sexual offenses Act No.12 of 2012.
According to the Particular of offences, the convict Ibrahim Hassan Gobeh on 30th May 2022 at Freetown engaged in an act of sexual penetration of a child(male).
In his plea in mitigation, defense lawyer K. Kanu begged the judge to temper justice with mercy because his client is a first time offender and been remorseful of his action.
He added that the convict is also a student and that pardoning him and give a second chance to mingle again in society he will be a role model in the future.
In her judgement, Justice Emmanuela Harding told the court that she took notice that the victim is a three years old child and also a male child.
She said that medical report show that the child was sexually penetrated.
The judge started that she will not hesitate to sentence the convict to life imprisonment because the victim is a male child aged 3 years.
“I sentence him to life imprisonment because I want this to serve as a deterrent to sexual offenders who are in the habit of sexual penetration of a child”.