14-year-old rape victim contracts HIV, culprit bags life imprisonment

A 14-year-old has reportedly contracted the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) after one Richard Saviour raped her.

According to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Saviour was sentenced to life in jail by the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, for defiling a minor who is a niece to his wife.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala delivered the judgment on Tuesday.

The agency posted on its X handle, @Lagosdsva: “The judge said when the police took the victim to the Mirabel Centre, she was tested and found to be HIV positive.

“Thereafter, she was transferred to Mary’s Home Orphanage and looked after with the help of Positive Action for Treatment Access, a Non-Governmental Organisation.

“The judge, hence, convicted the defendant on the charge of defilement by unlawful sexual assault and sentenced him to life imprisonment in the correctional centre.”

The agency said Ola Azeez, the State Counsel, called three witnesses to offer evidence for the prosecution’s case while the convict testified in his defence during the trial.

The Judge, in her ruling, held that the evidence offered by all the prosecution witnesses was corroborated and considered as the truth.

Justice Ogala said the victim’s proof was supported by the Investigating Police Officer and Social Worker from the state Ministry of Youth and Social Welfare.

She said these established the offence of defilement against the convict.

“The testimony before the court depicts the ‘evil’ perpetrated on this young girl and how she was abused both mentally and physically by the defendant and his wife for years.

“Revealing how she indeed ‘cried out’ for help and was betrayed by those who were supposed to help and support her.

“It is imperative to state at this juncture that the actions of the principal of PW2’s school and the social worker (PW3) are commendable as same eventually brought some succour and relief to PW2, who unfortunately has been permanently ‘scared.’

“Having carefully considered the entirety of facts before the court, it finds that in this instance, the prosecution has satisfactorily proved the one count information the defendant stands faced with,” the Judge said.

Ogala said the defendant only tried to portray the complainant as a stubborn girl.

She said, “The defendant, in his evidence before the court, indeed narrated how PW2 (the survivor) had at one instance, after running from home to avoid a beating from his wife, ran to the station, and he was subsequently informed that PW2 accused him of molesting her.

“The court finds that the totality of the testimony of the defendant who testified in his defence calling no additional witness is, in essence, a denial of the allegation without more.

“He offered no reliable explanations to the charge aside from attempts to depict PW2 as a stubborn girl and one who stole from himself and his wife.”

Omolola Pedro, the Head of the Gender Department, Take It Back Movement, in her reaction to the court’s judgment, said the victim should be given adequate support.

She said, “The survivor should be provided with adequate support, care, and treatment at this time when she needs it the most. When perpetrators know that the hands of the law can catch up on them, they’d realise that they’re not untouchable.

“Nigeria has enough laws, acts, and policies to protect the rights of women and girls. What we lack is implementation, and this is a result of the lack of intentionality on the part of those who are supposed to be in a position to help victims and survivors.”