Izuchukwu E.N
The court’s decision to condemn Stephen Francis to life in jail for defiling an 11-year-old girl was praised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).
This was said in a statement Thursday on its official Twitter account, which the News Agency of Nigeria keeps an eye on (NAN)
According to the statement, the sentence was a significant victory in the fight against sexual offences and domestic violence.
The defilement case involving the primary four pupil was prosecuted at the Lagos State Special Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court, presided over by Justice Abiola Soladoye, according to DSVA.
The defendant committed the offence on August 12, 2020 on Fagbenro St, Idi-Araba, Mushin, according to DSVA, and was convicted on Wednesday.
“The court found the defendant guilty of the one-count charge of defilement as the prosecution sufficiently established the three essential ingredients of the offence against him.
“The defendant lured the girl into his house with pretext of running an errand for his wife.
“He had sexual interscourse with her, which she promptly reported to her mother.
“The mother upon examination discovered sperm from her daughter’s private parts, confirming her account,” it said.
The agency said that the court ordered that the defendant’s name be registered in sexual offence register, maintained by the state.
According to DSVA, the sentence will serve as a warning to perpetrators that justice will always be served.
It said that defilement contravenes section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The agency reiterated the state’s zero tolerance stance ,while restating commitment to helping survivors of sexual offences and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.
It urged victims of domestic and sexual violence to speak up and report cases by calling the agency’s toll-free line 08000333333.(NAN)
