An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced a Muslim cleric (Alfa), Alani Rafiu, to life imprisonment for raping a 14 ?year- old girl inside a mosque.

Justice Rahman Oshodi handed down the sentence on Monday after finding Rafiu guilty of the offence of child defilement.

Rafiu was arraigned on October 28, 2021, for having sexual intercourse with the teenager.

The incident occurred on August 17, 2021, in Ikotun area of Lagos State.

However, the convict pleaded not guilty to the charge. Thus, the trial started with the prosecution, led by B. Boye, with I. D. Solarin calling three witnesses, including the victim, who testified against the convict.

While delivering the judgment, Oshodi held that the prosecution was able to discharge its burden of proof that the convict defiled the teenager.

The judge held that the gravity of the convict?s offence could not be overstated, as he betrayed the trust placed in him as a religious instructor and family friend.

?The gravity of your offence cannot be overstated. You betrayed the trust placed in you as a religious instructor and family friend.

?Instead of nurturing and protecting a vulnerable 14-year-old child entrusted to your spiritual care, you repeatedly sexually abused her in a place of worship.

?This conduct is criminal and represents a profound violation of secular and religious principles,? he said.

Oshodi further held that the evidence revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behaviour, as the convict deliberately isolated the child, exploited her vulnerability, and bought her silence with money.

?The evidence revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behaviour. You deliberately isolated the child, exploited her vulnerability, and bought her silence with money.

?The physical and psychological trauma inflicted on this young girl is immeasurable. At an age when she should have been focused on her education and development, she was subjected to experiences that no child should endure,? the judge held.

Oshodi also stated that having carefully considered all the evidence before the court, there was compelling and consistent proof establishing that the prosecutrix was indeed a child below the age of 18 years at the time of the alleged offence in May 2021.

He said the evidence manifested through multiple sources.

Oshodi said, ?When the prosecutrix testified before this court, she stated that she was 15 years old and 14 when the alleged incident occurred.

?Notably, she was still attending primary school then, explicitly saying she was in Primary 3.

?The prosecutrix?s educational level, being in Primary 3, at the time of her testimony, while not determinative of age, provides supporting circumstantial evidence consistent with her being a young teenager rather than an adult.

?The consistency of these multiple sources of evidence ? the police and guardian testimony, the prosecutrix?s evidence, and circumstantial evidence ? all converge to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the prosecutrix was 14 years old at the time of the alleged offence in May 2021.

?The defence led no evidence to contradict these age-related facts, nor was the prosecutrix?s age challenged during cross-examination of any of the prosecution witnesses?.

The judge said the prosecutrix provided a detailed, firsthand account of sexual intercourse with the convict.

?Her testimony was specific. She offered a detailed sequential account of the sexual assault. She testified that at the mosque (where the convict, whom she referred to as Alfa), isolated her. He would then lock the door, remove her underwear, and instruct her to lie on the floor.

?She explicitly stated that Rafiu would then insert his penis into her vagina. When asked about frequency, she confirmed this occurred three times.

?She further testified that these acts would result in bleeding, which the convict would have her clean with a handkerchief. Afterwards, he would instruct her to put her underwear back on before taking her outside,? he said.

According to Oshodi, this testimony provides a direct account of penile-vaginal penetration, with specific details about the sequence of events, location, frequency, and aftermath of the sexual acts.

?The prosecutrix maintained during cross-examination that this occurred three times, explicitly stating, ?He had sex with me three times.?

The judge noted that the prosecutrix testimony remained consistent even when challenged about the timeframe, clarifying that these incidents occurred.

He said the medical evidence further strengthened the evidence of sexual intercourse. It reports that the transection found in the prosecutrix?s vagina was ?consistent with forceful penetrative injury to the [prosecutrix?s] anus and vagina?.

Before passing down the verdict, Oshodi said, ?What makes your conduct particularly egregious is your abuse of religious authority and the sacred space of a mosque to perpetrate these violations.

?Places of worship should be sanctuaries of safety and spiritual growth, not venues for the exploitation of children.

?The medical evidence and the prosecutrix?s testimony paint a disturbing picture of the physical harm you caused.

The bleeding she experienced and your callous provision of a handkerchief to clean up the evidence of your abuse demonstrate a shocking disregard for her well-being.

?This court must protect children from sexual predators and send a clear message that such conduct will be met with the full force of the law.

?The sentence must reflect society?s abhorrence of child sexual abuse and serve as a deterrent to others who might contemplate similar crimes. (The PUNCH)

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