A 21-year-old student from Milton Margai Technical University has been handed a 10-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl, in a deeply disturbing case that has shaken the community.

The third-year Business Management student confessed to the crime before Justice Cosmotina Jarrett, sparking renewed debate on safeguarding children and ensuring justice for victims of sexual abuse.

State Prosecutor Lawyer Deen revealed that the disturbing event took place on April 29, 2024, in Allen Town, where the accused took advantage of a 12-year-old girl who had been sent by her mother to dispose of household waste, luring her into his room and committing the assault.

After failing to get a response at the convict’s door while searching for her daughter, the concerned mother took the child to a nearby health center, where medical examinations tragically confirmed that she had been sexually violated. The incident was promptly reported to the Waterloo Police Station, resulting in the immediate arrest and subsequent prosecution of the university student.

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In a controversial defense, the convict’s lawyer, Hindolo M. Gevao, asserted that his client was involved in a “love relationship” with the victim and claimed he had been misled by her physical appearance, requesting a reduced sentence of seven years rather than the mandatory ten.

Upholding the full penalty under Section 4A (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, Justice Jarrett delivered a firm 10-year sentence, underscoring its role as a deterrent to future offenders—a decision that has ignited public outcry and strengthened demands for enhanced child protection measures across Sierra Leone.