By: Haja Hawa Koroma
George Walker made another appearance before Justice Manuella Harding of the Sexual Model offences Court No.7 of the high court of Sierra Leone Freetown on one count charge of Sexual Penetration of a child.
Fifth prosecution witness Dr. Claudius Cole, of the western clinic and medical officer attached at the Rainbow Centre, testified in court that one of her duties as a medical doctor attached at the said hospital is to examine sexually penetrated survivors, do a complete physical examination and investigative test if necessary from head to toe of the individual and from front to back.
According to the prosecution witness, based on their findings they gave treatment and a follow up medical appointment of sexual penetrated survivors.
The prosecution witness Dr. Claudius Cole, identified a medical report of a child presented to her in court, signed by a doctor and was tendered in court and marked as Exhibit C1-4.
On the physical findings according to prosecution witness there was no injury. But the genital findings shows partial rupture on the hymen with brakes at 2 and 11 o clock positions as seen on the face of the clock and redness of the vagina.
During a cross examination by state counsel, asks the prosecution witness of the wide opening of the hymen. Prosecution witness responded that it was a wider opening of the hymen intritus [the opening of the vagina]. State counsels also ask if there was a force behind the opening of the vagina. The defense counsel R.S Bangura objected.
State counsel O.V Robin Mason, question the prosecuting witness Dr. Claudius Cole about the intritus and its causes, prosecution witness responded saying the intritus usually happens due to inflation or infection or erectional force applied. She also informed the court about the redness of the vagina and how it differs from the intritus. The redness of the vagina happens due to the erectional force and extension of the presentation.
Pictorial evidence was shown to the witness by both the state council and the defense council in which she said that it demonstrates the tear and redness of the vagina.
Cross examination made by the defense council revealed that the survivor’s relatives were not spoken to so as to follow the hospital’s procedure of speaking to a relative of the survivor upon entering the hospital before the examining of the rape victim. The prosecution witness responded that she was not the one that did the examination; it was done by Dr. Bintu Mansaray.
According to the statement of offence, the accused George walker, was indicted on one count charge of sexual penetration, contrary to section 19 of the sexual offences ACT , 2012[ACT NO. 12] OF 2012 As repealed and replaced by section4 [a] [ii] of the sexual offences [Amendment ACT 2019 [ACT NO.8] of 2019.
The particulars of offence states that, George Walker on the 26th day of March 2020 at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone, engaged in an act of Sexual Penetration with a child.
The defense council of the accused was represented by R.S Bangura, whilst state council was represented by O.V Robin Mason Jnr. The accused was not granted bail and the matter has been adjourned to the 1st March 2022 for further hearing.