By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
Justice Edward Komba Kamanda, (JA) at the Sexual Offences Model Court has convicted and sentenced one 18-year-old student, John Saffaf for sexually penetrating his neighbours’ 10-year-old daughter in Freetown
The State prosecutor, lawyer Yusuf Isaac Sesay, alleged that the convict on 2nd February, 2019 at Jui in Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone, sexually penetrated a child below the age of eighteen to wit 10 years.
The convict was standing trial at the High Court presided over by Justice Komba Kamanda, (JA) on one count charge of sexual penetration of a child contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012, as repealed and replaced by Section 4 of the Sexual Offence (Amendment) Act 2019 Act No. of 2019
In his judgment, Justice Kamanda said the accused was standing trial before his court on one count charge of sexual penetration.
He said it was the burden of the prosecution to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubt.
He said when the charges were put to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty, and that during the trial the prosecution called 4 witnesses including the victim and the police medical doctor, Olabisi Claudius Cole, who adduced sufficient evidence against the convict, linking him to the offence of sexual penetration
The convict, in his defense, called three witnesses and also relied on his denial statement he made at police. Justice Kamanda further said, according to the victim’s evidence in court, the convict Saffa has been sexually penetrating her twice.
Justice Kamanda noted that after going through the entire evidence presented in court, the accused is guilty as charged on the one count charge of sexual penetration.
Justice Kamanda said the conviction of John Saffa, should serves as warning to other men in society. He however sentence to eight years imprisonment and to be served concurrently
