PHOTO: One of the convicts, Abraham Johnson
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
After controversially releasing a murder defendant last Thursday (June 10,2021), the Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court, Sikajipo A. Wollor is again in the news for handing down what some see as “light” sentences for two convicted rapists in Liberia’s southeastern Grand Gedeh County.
In his ruling made on Tuesday June 15,2021, the judge gave lesser sentences to the two rapists who raped two minors in 2019 and 2020.
But state prosecutors have taken exception to the ruling of Judge Wolloh and promised to take advantage of the statute controlling by eventually filing an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Gender Ministry and other women’s groups have reported an increase in rape across the country by heartless perpetrators.
In his Tuesday’s Ruling, Judge Wollor says that an indictment was issued on the convict Abraham Johnson during the November 2020, A.D. term of court for crime of Statutory rape.
Said indictment has seven counts but the court took interest in only two, counts one and two.
But he says before the ruling, an assistant was issued into the proceedings for hearing of the aforesaid case and in obedience of the assignment; the defendant appeared before court Monday June 14,2021, when the indictment was read in open. Court, the defendant Johnson admitted committing the crime.
Courts one and two of the indictment was read by the Judge for those who were attending the court sentencing hearing.
Count one reads that on the 7th days of August 2020, at the intervening time between morning or evening, in Bartehjam gold mining camp, Gbenzon District, Grand Gedeh County, defendant Abraham Johnson AKA Teddy rock, age 22 committed the crime of statutory rape, a first degree of felony by having sexual intercourse with an 11-year-old girl by penetrating her private part with his penis.
Count two says that the incident occurred on the 7th of August 2020 in Bartehjam gold mining camp when the survivor aunty sent her to go buy firewood for cooking. But while she was in search of the firewood, the defendant Johnson called her to come to him, but she refused and the defendant forcibly took her in his room and sexually abused her in his room using his penis.
The court further said that during the May A.D 2021 term of court, assignment was issued for hearing of the case and in obedience to the assignment, defendant Johnson was present in court, where his indictment was read to him and he pleaded guilty to the crime of statutory rape.
Because of his confession in open court voluntarily, the court was obliged to adjudge him guilty and sentenced him to four years in jail, in line with chapter 16 section 16.4 of the Criminal procedure law of Liberia.
The man had admitted raping a girl, age 11, a 22-year-old man at Barteljam gold camp in Liberia’s southeastern Grand Gedeh County has reportedly asked for forgiveness for committing this dastardly act.
Rape is a nonbailable crime under Liberian law, with the maximum penalty being life imprisonment and this menace.
On September 11, 2020, President George Manneh Weah issued a proclamation declaring rape as a national emergency.
The 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Zwedru also sentenced another 18-year-old man to three and half years in prison, adding that the file before court revealed that Prince Azango was indicted in 2019, for the crime of statutory rape and incest.
Convict Azango’s indictment contained nine counts in which the court obliged to read only three of the counts.
Count one says during the time intervening June 11,2019, and June 12,2019 at about 4pm to 8:45 am, in the Bennie gold mining camp, Grand Gedeh County county, the defendant Prince Azango age 18 committed the crime of statutory rape by forcibly inciting his penis into the vagina of 14 years biological sister and had sexual intercourse with her.
Count two of the indictment states that the crime committed occurred when his mother left him and his sister in Bennie gold mining camp but in order to accomplish his criminal motive, put the survivor under the impression that their mother told him to be sleeping with the survivor while she was away.
Count three of the indictment revealed that while, the survivor was sleeping in their mother bedroom, the convict Azango being instigated by the devil with criminal minds had sexual intercourse with his biological sister by inciting his penis in her private part.
The 7th Judicial Circuit Court in its ruling said during the May A.D. 2021, term of court, an assignment was issued on the defendant and both defense and state Lawyers for hearing of the case.
In obedience of the assignment made, defendant Azango was in court on Monday, June 14,2021 and pleaded guilty to his indictment when it was read to him in open court.
The court maintained that because he confessed to his crime in open court voluntarily, the court obliged to find him guilty for the crime of statutory rape and sentenced him to three and half years, in accordance with Chapter 16 section 16.4 of the Criminal procedure law.
The Criminal procedure Law Chapter 14 section 14.70 (g) which talks about Grading of Sentences.
(I) Rape is a felony of the first degree where the victim was less than 18 years of age at time the offense was committed.
(ii) the offense involve gang rape as defined in sub-paragraph two above or(iii) the act of rape complained of results in either permanent disability or serious bodily injury to the victim.
The maximum sentence for the first degree felony shall be life imprisonment and for the purpose of bail, it shall be treated as per capital offense under section 13.1.1 capital offense of the Criminal procedure law.
Rape is second degree felony where the conditions set out in section (4) (a)(iv) above are not met. The maximum sentence for second degree rape shall is ten years imprisonment.
The two convicts were represented by office of the public defender in Grand Gedeh County.