Sierra Leone News: Sexual Penetration: 13-years-old Girl Narrates Ordeal

By Isabella Cassell

A 13-years-old girl who was allegedly abused by a neighbour Yanny Tachequee, has explained that “I was at home with my parents when the accused visited my father telling him that he has a bag of rice for sale, but my father told him that he would only buy 60 cups because he was not having enough money in his possession.”

The victim told the Magistrate Court №3, presided by Magistrate Abdul Sheriff, on Tuesday that, the accused told her father that the rice was at his house, and her father should allow her to collect the rice at his house.

She added that on the evening of the same day her father instructed her to collect the rice from the accused which she did together with her younger sister.

“When we arrived at the house of the accused, he gave me the key to the house and asked me to open the door and measure 60 cups of rice which was standing in his room. I measured the rice and later closed the door and went home with the key. Upon my return home, I met the accused and I gave him the key,” she said.

She said on another occasion, the accused met her mother and told her that she wanted her to launder his dirty clothes, and her mother agreed.

She added that when they arrived at the house of the accused, they entered the parlor.

She said that the accused sat on my sister’s legs, but she told him to get up. She added that the accused did the same to him.

The victim said that the accused later raised her and placed her on top of his legs.

“He took me into his room and dropped me on the bed. He closed the door and removed my pants, and forcefully sexually penetrated me. He told me not to tell my mother. I saw white liquid coming from my vagina,” she told the court.

She said after the sexual intercourse, the accused gave her Le10, 000 because she was feeling severe pain and they went home.

She furthered that one day, she was at home feeling sick when her aunt called her, upon arrival she questioned her about her health, and said she is suspecting her to be pregnant. She said her aunt eventually informed her father, who asked them to go to the hospital for medical check-up. She said that after the check-up, the doctor informed her that she was pregnant.

She said that she later told her parents that it was the accused that impregnated her.

The victim said that they later went to the Hilltop Police Station where they reported the matter.

She said they were issued a medical request form which they took to the Rainbo Centre at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) for medical treatment. The victim said the document was later returned to the police where she made statement.

Defense counsel, S.A Conteh applied for bail on behalf of his client, but Magistrate Sheriff refused to grant the accused bail.

The accused who is a mason was before the court on a count charge of sexual penetration of a child contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offense Act №12 of 2012.

Police alleged that the accused, Yanny Tachequee on a date between March 1, 2019 and April 30, 2019 in Freetown sexually penetrated a 13-year-old child.

The matter was adjourned to Friday August 23, 2019 for ruling.

The matter was prosecuted by Inspector Gloria V.S Macauley.