In Nigeria, a medical director has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting his wife’s teenage niece.
Dr. Olufemi Olaleye was found guilty of raping the girl for over a year before his wife discovered the abuse and reported it to the police.
Although he had pleaded not guilty during the trial, a judge in a Lagos court determined that the evidence against him was compelling and rejected his request for leniency.
Olaleye was charged in November of the last year with two counts of rape, covering the period from December 2019 to July 2022, when the girl lived with their family.
The victim, now 18 years old, revealed that the doctor had been sexually abusing her and had threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse.
She also accused him of forcing her to watch pornography.
During the trial, six witnesses testified, including the victim, the defendant’s wife, a medical doctor, a child-care expert, and two police officers involved in the investigation.
The doctor himself also testified in his defense, along with a forensic physician who challenged the medical evidence presented by the prosecution.
In his judgment, Justice Rahman Oshodi described the medical director as a “dangerous” offender who displayed no remorse.
The judge highlighted Olaleye’s earlier confession to the police as proof of his guilt and rejected the argument by the doctor’s legal team that the victim had been coached by the defendant’s wife to falsely accuse him as part of a scheme to gain control of his property.
Justice Oshodi ruled that Olaleye was guilty as charged, and since the charge carried a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, he sentenced the doctor accordingly.
Despite a plea for leniency based on Olaleye’s contributions as a cancer doctor and his status as a first-time offender, the judge dismissed this and emphasized the need to send a clear message that Nigeria’s justice system strongly condemns sexual violence.
Additionally, the doctor’s name was ordered to be added to the Lagos State sex offenders register.
It remains unclear whether the doctor intends to appeal the sentencing.
Source-BBC
