A High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has sentenced a 20-year-old man, Seun Olarewaju, to 30 calendar months imprisonment for the offence of rape on a 3-year-old girl.
The convict was arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Familoni on June 6, 2022 on a one count of rape.
According to the charge, that Olarewaju, on August 6, 2021 at Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of the court did rape a three years old girl, contrary to section 31(1) of the Child Right Law, Cap C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
In her evidence before the court, the victims mother said, “I was not around, I did not know what happened until the following day, when I was bathing my daughter, she did not allow me to wash her private part.
”When I checked, I saw it was red and swollen. I was so scared. When I asked what happened to her bumbum, she repeatedly said, it was Seun.
“Thereafter, I heard Seun’s mother and my mother in law fighting outside, it was then I had a true picture of what happened; my brother in law narrated what transpired between Seun’s mother, my mother in-law and my daughter yesterday.
“I reported the matter to the police who later took over the matter”.
To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo called three witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statement, pictures of the victim and defendant, medical report among others as exhibits.
The defendant spoke through his counsel Luke Ekene, he prayed court to temper justice with mercy and called four witnesses.
Delivering his judgement, Justice Familoni said, “I believe the defendant as a young person deserves a second chance to redeem himself and be a good citizen. He cannot do that if I sentence him to life imprisonment.
”Therefore, I am inclined to temper Justice with mercy to afford him an opportunity of redemption.
Therefore, the defendant, Olarewaju Seun is sentenced to 30 calendar month imprisonment without an option of fine, the sentence is to run effectively from Sept. 20, 2021 when he was rearrested by the police and kept in detention.”
(NAN)
