By: Audrey Raymonda John
Musa Turay, a 38-year-old former teacher at St. Joseph Secondary School, appeared before Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens for a hearing on two separate files containing the same charges. The charges include sexual penetration contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012 (Act No. 12 of 2012), as repealed and replaced by Section 4(iii) of the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 2019 (Act No. 8 of 2019), and sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust, contrary to Section 21(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences Act 2012 (Act No. 12 of 2012).
According to the details of the case, between 1st February and 14th March 2024, in Freetown, Turay allegedly engaged in an act of sexual penetration with a child. The second charge states that during the same time period and in the same location, the accused, being in a position of trust to the child, allegedly engaged in sexual penetration with the same victim.
The charges were read and explained to Turay, who pleaded not guilty to both counts.
Defense counsel Claudius Campbell presented Turay’s defense. He stated that Turay, a resident of Tengbeh Town, had been a teacher at St. Joseph Secondary School for 17 years, teaching integrated science at the junior school level. Turay was also the form teacher for the JSS3T class, where the victim was a pupil.
According to Campbell, on 14th March 2024, Turay was summoned by the school authorities, including the acting principal and other teachers, who informed him that the victim had accused him of misconduct. Turay denied the allegations, stating that he had never been in a formal relationship with the victim and that no such incident had ever occurred in his long tenure as a teacher.
The defense also recalled an incident when the police officer testified about taking photographs of the victim. Turay confirmed being taken to the alleged crime scene by the police on a Saturday, using his own vehicle from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters on Pademba Road.
During cross-examination, State prosecutor Musa Pious Sesay Jr. Esq. challenged Turay, asking if it would be accurate to say his relationship with the victim went beyond the classroom. Turay denied this. Sesay also questioned whether Turay had ever helped the victim with her assignments, to which Turay again denied. However, Sesay presented a statement made by Turay, which he admitted to, where Turay had stated that the victim called him to help her with an assignment and that he had asked her to wait after school so as not to engage in examination malpractice.
The prosecutor also confronted Turay with the allegation that the acting principal had confronted him with a written complaint from the victim. Turay denied this.
Following the defense and prosecution’s submissions, Justice Stevens adjourned the case, stating he would deliver his judgment after reviewing both files. He has asked both the defense and the state to submit their replies by 17th March 2025.
