By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Andreas Kamasah
Published on 2024-01-23 13:16:36
Ademola Oladimeji was found guilty of sexually assaulting his three daughters and was sentenced to life imprisonment for each count, to be served concurrently. The case was heard by Justice Soladoye, who emphasized the credibility of the prosecution witnesses and the severity of Oladimeji’s actions.
The testimonies of the survivors, including the three daughters, were deemed believable and truthful by the court. The charges against Oladimeji were related to sexual assault by penetration, a distinction made by the court, rather than defilement. Justice Soladoye noted that the children’s testimonies indicated that Oladimeji had violated their innocence by inserting his fingers into their vaginas, and the wife of the defendant supported their claims, testifying that the children complained of pain in their private areas.
During the judgment, Justice Soladoye pointed out that the children did not say their father inserted his penis into their ‘bum bum’; they only said he touched their ‘bum bum.’ According to the judge, their testimonies showed that Oladimeji used his fingers rather than his penis, and their claims were corroborated by a medical examination at the Mirabel Medical Centre, which confirmed that they had been sexually assaulted.
The court also criticized Oladimeji’s attempts to distance himself from the allegations and described his conduct as despicable, morally corrupt, incestuous, and against the order of nature. While the prosecution failed to establish the charges of defilement, Justice Soladoye convicted Oladimeji on the amended charges of sexual assault by penetration.
In addition to the life imprisonment sentence, Justice Soladoye ordered that Oladimeji’s name be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register. The state counsel, Olufunke Adegoke, presented five witnesses during the trial, while the convict testified as the sole witness in his defense. The sentencing sends a strong message about the gravity of such offenses and the commitment of the legal system to protect the rights and well-being of victims.
Read the original article on Pulse
