August 11, 2016 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
Presiding Magistrate at the Freetown Magistrates’ Court No.1, Dr. Abou Bakarr Benneh-Kamara, yesterday committed to the High Court of Sierra Leone a rape matter involving one Alhaji Mansaray, who allegedly penetrated two toddlers aged 9 and 11 respectively.
The accused was charged with one count of sexual penetration of a child contrary to section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012.
The prosecution had alleged that the accused on Wednesday, 18 May, 2016 in Freetown, penetrated a nine-year-old girl.
They also alleged that on an unknown date between 1st and 31stMay, 2016 the accused penetrated the second victim, aged 11.
While committing the matter to the High Court, Magistrate Dr. Binneh-Kamara said the prosecution presented their case and that he had arrived at a conclusion that the accused indeed has a case to answer at the High Court.
The 11-year-old victim had testified that on 18th May, 2016 at about 2p.m., she was at home when the accused invited her upstairs and told her to buy him some sachets of water.
She said when she returned the accused took off her pant and penetrated his fingers deep into her private part and later used his penis to penetrate her.
She testified that the accused gave her the sum of Le5,000, adding that her mother discovered that she had been raped after some neighbours raised alarm.
Also, the nine-year-old victim testified that on the same date, she went to her mother who resides at the same address as the accused.
She testified that she met the accused lying on the floor in a room and that “he asked me to massage him.”
She further testified that as she went into the room, the accused pushed her on the floor, removed her pant and penetrated her, leaving her alone inside the room and ran away.