Justice Abiola Soladoye of a Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, yesterday, sentenced a man, Stephen Francis to life imprisonment, for defiling an 11-year-old primary four pupil.
Justice Soladoye sentenced Francis after he was found guilty as charged by the state government.
The convict, who resides in the same area with the parent of the pupil, committed the offence on August 12, 2020 in his room, located at Fagbenro Street, Idi-Araba, Mushin, Lagos.
His offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Soladoye held that the prosecution proved essential ingredients of defilement against the defendant.
The judge noted that the overwhelming narrative of the prosecution witnesses cannot be overemphasised.
The court further held that the two exhibits tendered at Olosan Police Station and at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, made by the convict voluntarily, admitted his guilt.
The court also held the testimony of the survivor, where she narrated that the convict called her (survivor) and that his wife waited her to run an errand for her. The defendant took her to his house and had sex with her.
Justice Soladoye further held that the survivor’s testimony was consistent and unshaken under cross-examination.
“The confessional statements of the convict were consistent with the evidence given by the survivor and her mother before the court. The survivor, an 11-year-old primary five pupil, identified the defendant in the dock as the man who sexually defiled her.
“Survivor explained to the court that the convict took her to his room and slept with her. She went to her mother and reported to her. After that they went to the police station.
“The survivor’s mother testified that she went to buy drugs for herself on the day of the incident and that she met her daughter crying by the time she got back home. The evidence of the survivor’s mother that she examined the private part of her daughter and found sperm confirmed the narration of the survivor.
“There is no contradiction to nullify the guilt of the defendant as the evidence before the court is very clear. The defendant stripped her naked and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her,” the court held.
The judge further held that slight penetration amounts to sexual intercourse and denial by the defendant was an afterthought.
She said the defendant claimed that he was at work on the day the incident happened but he failed to bring an alibi to buttress his point.
The court therefore advised parents and guardians to be alive to good parenting and convicted the defendant.
“I hereby find the defendant guilty as charged of the one-count charge of defilement, and he is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.
“The defendant should have his name registered in the sexual offence register as maintained by Lagos State,” the court added.
During trial, the prosecution team led by Mr. Olusola Shoneye called two witnesses while the convict testified as the sole witness for defence.
