An Ado-Ekiti High Court has sentenced a 20-year-old Seun Olarewaju to 30 months in jail for raping a 3-year-old girl.
On June 6, 2022, the prisoner was brought before Justice Adeniyi Familoni on a single charge of rape.
According to the allegation, Olarewaju raped a three-year-old girl on August 6, 2021, in Ado Ekiti, within the court’s jurisdiction, in violation of Section 31(1) of the Child Rights 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 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 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 exhibit.
The defendant spoke through his counsel Luke Ekene, he prayed court to temper justice with mercy and called four witnesses.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Familoni said, “I believe the defendant as a young person deserve 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.
