A Senior Police Officer of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Joseph Jallah, who is accused of sexually harassing a 13-year-old girl, has finally been released from detention by Criminal Court ‘E’ at the Temple of Justice.
For over five days, Officer Jallah had been at the Monrovia Central Prison, after he was forwarded there, pending prosecution.
The LNP Officer was investigated by police investigators and later charged for Sexual Assault.
According to the Court’s document, Officer Jallah was accused of offensively touching the teenage girl’s buttock and breast at her Capitol Bye Pass Resident in Monrovia, which is in violation of Chapter 14, Section 14.77 of New Penal of Liberia.
The Court’s record further said that the Senior LNP Officer threatened to abuse the 13-Year-Old Girl in question until her private part gets large.
But the Senior Police Officer has since denied harassing the 13-year-old girl, claiming that he is ready to face his accusers in Court consistent with law.
Under the Rape Law, the following acts are defined as rape:
*Intentional penetration (however slight) of a penis into the vagina, anus, mouth, or any opening of another person, without that person’s consent; intentional penetration (however slight) of another body part (such as a finger) or an object (such as a gun, stick, candle, or bottle) into the vagina or anus of another person, without that person’s consent.
*Sexual intercourse (including any of the actions described above) between a person who is over 18 years of age and a person who is not yet 18 years of age, even if the younger person agreed to the act or was not forced into it.
In certain cases, rape is considered to be a felony:
*Of first degree, which can garner a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. These cases include those in which:
*The victim was less than 18 years old at the time of the offense.
*The offense involves gang rape.
*The rape results in permanent or serious bodily injury to the victim.
*The perpetrator threatened the victim with a firearm or other deadly weapon at the time of the rape or immediately before it.
In all other cases, rape is a second degree felony that carries 10 years maximum sentence and is non-bailable. Report by Peter Toby, tobypeter71@gmail.com