At the Siaka Stevens Street Magistrate Court in Freetown, two male teachers, Amadu Koroma and Abubakarr Jalloh, are separately facing charges of Sexual Penetration of a Child contrary to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012. The first, Amadu Koroma, teaches French and English at the Great Expectations Academy School, Lumley, He allegedly sexually abused an 11-year old girl on 18th October 2018. The victim, during her testimony before Magistrate Abdul Sheriff, on Tuesday 22nd January 2019, told the Court that the accused called her into an empty building close to the school and sexually abused her. Her aunt later discovered that she has been abused and reported the matter to the police. The defence counsel, Charles Abass Bangura, informed the Court that the accused was insane and applied for the accused to be sent to the mental home before the Court commences with the trial. The prosecutor, Sergeant 8534 G. Sesay, objected to the application on grounds that no record was available before the Court to attest to the mental status of the accused. Additionally, the school would not have hired him as a teacher if he was insane. The Court did not grant the application. The defence cross-examined the victim. The matter was adjourned to 28th January 2019 and the accused was sent to the Correctional Centre in Freetown on remand.
In the second file, it is alleged that Abubakarr Jalloh, on 19th September 2018 at Calaba Town in Freetown, raped a 14-year old girl. It was alleged that the accused on 22nd September 2018 also attempted to rape a 15-year old girl. He appeared before Magistrate Sheriff on Tuesday 22nd January 2019 to answer to the offences of Sexual Penetration and Attempted Sexual Penetration contrary to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012. He was not legally represented.
The prosecutor, Detective Sergeant Ibrahim Kargbo, attached to the Calaba Town Police Station, tendered the medical request form of the victim, the voluntary cautioned statement and the charge statement of the accused.
Magistrate Sheriff has withdrawn the file for ruling.
EDB/22/1/19
By Edna Browne-Dauphine
Wednesday January 23, 2019.