The Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday, sentenced a 42-year-old Chief Security Officer of a company, Daniel Okon, to life imprisonment for defiling a four-year-old girl.
Justice Abiola Soladoye held that the prosecution was able to prove the offence of defilement against the convict without reasonable doubt.
Okon was arraigned on a count of defilement of a minor preferred against him by the state.
The State Prosecuting Counsel, Olufunke Adegoke, told the court that the convict had unlawful sexual intercourse with the minor.
She said that the incident took place at about 11: 30 a.m. on April 21, 2017, in the Aguda Surulere area of state.
According to her, the offence committed contravened section 137 of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.
During the trial, the prosecution called three witnesses, including the victim.
Delivering her judgment, Soladoye held that the victim testified that she started shouting and crying when the defendant defiled her and this attracted the neighbours.
“The evidence of the child was also collaborated with her mother’s testimony and that of the doctor that examined her. What is crucial is for the child to be able to identify the defendant.
“The evidence of PW 2 confirmed that she saw this defendant when he messed with her daughter’s virginity in 2017.
“The mother said she heard a commotion and when she went to check, she discovered that the defendant had messed with her daughter.
The victim’s mother said, “We went to the hospital where they confirmed that there was penetration and that she has been infected,” the judge said.
Soladoye further stated that the 3rd prosecution witness, the doctor, testified that there was a vaginal discharge that the hymen was absent and that there was an opening.
Okon testified solely in his defence that he didn’t know the girl and her mother and that he just went to use the toilet in the compound when he saw a little girl in the stairway crying.
“The defendant entered into a random compound and under the pretext of using their toilet, he saw a 4-year-old child playing around in the compound and he took her and sexually assaulted her by inserting his finger into her vagina.
“The child started screaming and people heard and accosted the defendant, and when the child’s mother came, she picked her child and saw she was assaulted, had the defendant arrested and the child was taken to the hospital.
The judge held,” This defendant is a pathological liar. He simply tried to distance himself from the horrible act. He is an unbelievable witness.
“During cross-examination, he said he did not know the victim and her mother. His evidence is laced with lies and an afterthought.
“This assertion of the defence can not fly in the face of the overwhelming evidence before the court.”
The judge, in addition, held that there were three ingredients to prove the case of defilement of a child.
“One, the child must be underage, that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the child, and that the child can identify the defendant.
“When the victim came before this court, she was 7 years old, but she was 4 years old when she was defiled.
“She said she started shouting from the toilet. In law, a child can not give consent to intercourse.
“She described how the defendant sexually molested her.
” The mother of this child should also be blamed for being parentally negligent leaving her 4-year-old daughter to be unattended to.
“This mother has herself to blame. Children are precious and should be treated with tender care.”
“Daniel Okon, having been found guilty, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. You are to have your name registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register,” the judge said.
