Sierra Leone News: Youth Committed to High Court for Sexual Penetration

By Isabella Cassell

A 23-year-old, Sidique Koroma was on Friday August 16, 2019, committed to the high court for trial by Magistrate Abdul Sheriff, presiding at Court №3, in Freetown.

The accused was arraigned for allegedly sexually penetrating an 11-year-old girl.

The Magistrate said that there is sufficient evidence against accused for him to be tried by the High Court.

According to the particulars of the offence, the accused on Tuesday May 7, 2019, in Freetown sexually penetrated an 11-year-old girl.

The accused was denied bail by the Magistrate.

According to the victim’s testimony, the accused is her father’s workmate and recalled the day in question. She said the accused met her at the stream and took her into the bush, laid her on the ground, undressed her and sexually penetrated her.

The victim said that she observed blood at her vagina. She said she told the accused that she would report him to her parents. “He threatened to kill me if I informed my parents. The accused kept threatening me everywhere we met after the incident,” she said.

The victim said that, on another occasion, her mother sent her to collect a phone, and whilst he was going, the accused called her and took her into his room, and sexually penetrated her.

She narrated that, on another occasion, she was lying at home after school, when accused entered the room and allegedly sexually penetrated her. She said that her sister who was in the house, told the accused that she had seen him sexually penetrated her sister.

She said her sister informed her mother about the incident; and her mother then informed her uncle. She said that her father was informed about incident, which was later reported to the police.

She said the police issued a medical request on her behalf for treatment and examination at the Rainbo Centre.

The endorsed medical form was returned to the police station.