December 14, 2021
By Hafsatu Z Bangura
Peter Samura made his final appearance before Justice Momoh Jah Stevens at the sexual Modern offences Court No.7 at the high court in Freetown on one count charge of Sexual Penetration Contrary to section 19 of the Sexual offences Act of 2012, Act No. 12 of 2012 as Repealed and Replaced by the Sexual offences Act 2019 Act No.8 of 2019
According to the particulars of offence the accused person Peter Samura 18 year’s old student on a date between the 1st February 2021 and the 31st March 2021 at Freetown in the western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone engaged in an act of sexual penetration with a child.
The victim had testified in court earlier on at the ongoing session and according to the victim’s testimonial statement she said she was having a discussion with one of her neighbor’s by the name of Yaitu when she told her about her relationship of her and the accused person and how the accused person has deflowered her.
She continued that she was unaware that her elder sister was listening to their conversation and that during the night hours made a report of what she heard from the victim’s mother of which the victim said her mother examined her and found out that she has been tampered with and asked her to identify the person that had tampered with her but refused to speak.
The victim said she first told her mother that she was raped and couldn’t identify the perpetrator that raped her, she said her mother continued to pressure her into speaking about the incident but refused to speak and on that she said her father came and ask her and kicked her in the abdominal part and slapped her and asked her sisters for a razor blade in order to cut off the victims hair.
She said unable to find the razor blade her father then used a pair of scissor to cut off her hair and slapped her several times and she ran away and slept over at her mother’s friend house and was questioned again and refused to speak and ran home again. She said she was at church with the pastors wife and been pressured again told the pastors wife and her mother who was the one that sexually tampered with her and said it was the accused person Peter Samura.
The accused made a confessional statement to the police and also said that the victim and he were in a 4 years relationship. The accused pleaded for mercy. The defense counsel C Taylor Young in his plea mitigation for the accused pleaded for mercy and said the accused was a first time offender and did not waste the court time but confessed to the act and pleaded for mercy for the accused.
The accused was sentenced to ten years imprisonment (10). The defense counsel was represented by M. Pious Sesay Jrn while the state was represented by C Taylor Young. The presiding judge was Justice Momoh Jah Stevens. The accused has been sentenced to 10years imprisonment.