- He added that the defendant confessed that he slept with the girl several times, resulting in a pregnancy and the birth of a baby girl.
A pastor of Adoration Ministry in Karshi Abuja was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old girl.
Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court, delivered the sentence.
The Pastor, Stephen Kalu, who is 29-years-old was arraigned before the court by the police on a two-count charge of rape on Oct. 16, 2019.
The convict had non-consensual sex with the 17-year-old girl on Oct. 28, 2018, at his residence in Karshi, Abuja, and that this was contrary to section 31 (1) of the Child’s Right Act and punishable under 31 (2) of the same Act.
Justice Kekemeke while delivering judgment held that the prosecuting counsel, Donatus Abah, had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt.
He added that the defendant confessed that he slept with the girl several times, resulting in a pregnancy and the birth of a baby girl.
The judge held further that although the defendant promised to marry her, the offence had been committed already and the law must take its course, EkoHotBlog reports.
Kekemeke ruled that count two was not relevant and convicted the defendant on count one, which contravened section 31 (1)of the Child’s Right Act.
” The defendant is found guilty on count one and accordingly convicted,” the judge ruled.
In sentencing the defendant, Kekemeke said that the section he was charged attracted a punishment of life imprisonment.
” Our society, especially this division of the court, has seen several cases of rape. It is a pathetic situation, the system must be expunged of rapists, our children need protection from our courts.
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” The law is already there, the same defendant committed a similar offence of rape while on bail, during the period of this case. He is a danger to our children, I have no choice, the defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment,” he ruled.
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