AYV News, August 31, 2023

16-year-old victim who was explaining her ordeal in Court in the ongoing UNDP’s supported Judicial Week, said she was sexually penetrated by the accused on the day of the African Child’s Day.

Presided over by Court of Appeal Judge, Hon. Justice Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens, the 16-year-old victim explained that she was approached by the accused under a tree at around 3:00pm on 16th June 2023 after she was returning from her school’s African Child’s Day celebration.

According to her, accused Shaka Conteh took her to his house and sexually penetrated her.

The accused was charged with the offence of Sexual Penetration contrary to Section 4 (a) (II) of the Sexual Offences Amendment Act No. 8 of 2019.

The State alleged that on the 16th June, 2022, the accused, while in Freetown, engaged in an act of sexual penetration with a child for which he pleaded not guilty.

At the commencement of the trial, the Prosecution applied for a trial by judge alone instead of a trial by judge and jury, which was granted by the Judge.

During the course of the trial, the Prosecution led in evidence five witnesses, and upon closing their case, the accused relied on his confessional statement to the Police.

Upon review of the totality of the evidence before the Court, Shaka Conteh was found guilty after he had confessed to have had sexual intercourse with the victim.

Before delivering his sentence, Hon. Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens said the convict, Shaka Conteh, exploited the victim by taking her to his house and sexually penetrated her.

He sentenced convict Shaka Conteh to 10 years imprisonment including the time already spent in prison.

Sulaiman Jalloh, a student who was before the Court on a one count indictment of Shop Breaking and Larceny was convicted and sentenced to three years six months imprisonment including the time already spent at remand after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

Similarly, Gibrilla Hassan Bangura who was before the court on the count of House Breaking and Larceny was sentenced to time spent.

Gibrilla was alleged to have on the 9th September 2019, at Freetown in Western Sierra Leone, with intent to steal broke and entered into the dwelling house of one Patrick Ansu Kaikai and stole items including electronics worth over Twenty Million Leones old notes (Le20,000,000).

The convict had been in incarceration since 2019 and was sentenced to term spent.