Court of Appeal Judge presiding over cases at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown, Honorable Justice Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens has sentenced 20-year-old Motorcycle rider, Osman Barrie to 20 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of sexually penetrating a 14-year-old pupil.
Barrie was before the court on a one count indictment of Sexual Penetration contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012, Act No. 12 of 2012, as repealed and replaced by Section 4 (a) (ii) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2019, Act No. 8 of 2019.
State Prosecutor Musa Pious Sesay had alleged that the accused on a date unknown between the 1st day of July 2021 and the 31st day of July 2021, at Freetown, in the Western Area of the country engaged in an act of Sexual Penetration with a child.
The convict denied the allegation upon his arraignment and the State Prosecutor Musa Pious Sesay led in evidence several witnesses including the victim in support of his case.
In her evidence, the school going girl admitted knowing the accused as her neighbor and recalled that on dates between the 1st day of July 2021 and the 31st day of July 2021, she went to the home of the accused to borrow a laundering board. She said that after the accused had directed her into his room, he followed after her, grabbed her, removed her pants and was Sexually Penetrated.
“I saw blood oozing from my vagina, I felt severe pain and I went to take my bath,” the victim explained, adding that she only got to know that she had been impregnated by the accused when another woman drew her attention to it.
At the close of the Prosecution’s case, the accused relied on his statement to the police.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Stevens noted that the accused voluntarily made a confessional statement which makes the act of the accused contrary to Section 4 (a) (ii) of the Sexual Offences Act 2019 as amended.
In his allocutus, the convict pleaded for mercy and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labor.
