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Justice Momoh Jah Stevens of the High Court of Sierra Leone has sentenced 38-year-old former teacher, Musa Turay, to 15 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of sexually penetrating two underaged girls aged 12 and 13.
Turay, who once taught at St. Joseph Secondary School, stood trial at the Sexual Offences Court No.7 in Freetown on two separate indictments of sexual penetration and abuse of trust.
The offences, committed between February 1 and March 14, 2024, contravened Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 (amended 2019) and Section 21(1)(a), which specifically criminalizes sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust.
Despite pleading not guilty when the charges were first read on July 3, 2024, damning witness testimonies during the trial exposed Turay’s actions. The prosecution called a total of eight witnesses, including the victims, who detailed the abuse.
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After carefully weighing the evidence presented by both the prosecution and defence, Justice Stevens convicted Turay on both counts. He handed down 15 years for each offence, totaling 30 years. However, considering the time Turay had already spent in custody, the judge ruled that the former teacher would effectively serve 15 years in prison.
This ruling sends a strong message on the enforcement of Sierra Leone’s Sexual Offences Act, which has been amended to impose stiffer penalties on perpetrators of child sexual abuse.
