A High Court in Rivers State has sentenced a 25-year-old man Jerry Njoku to seven years in prison with hard labor for raping a ten-year-old girl.
This verdict was reportedly given under Judge Rita Oguguo.
In addition to the sentence, a compensation fine of N5 million was asked to be paid to the parents of the 10-year-old girl who was defiled according to the findings of culpability of the accused person.
This was done after passing judgment on the culprit, Jerry Njoku, who was found guilty of defiling the girl, and the compensation will go into rehabilitating and ensuring her well-being.
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As noted by the court, this compensation was deemed necessary to facilitate the rehabilitation process for the girl, especially in light of the physical and mental torture that she has undergone.
According to Precious Ordu, the Chief State Counsel for Rivers State Ministry of Justice, it was indeed a historic decision in the battle against the sexual assault of minors.
Ordu claims that the sentence showed the great concern that the judiciary has about this crime.
However, it was further highlighted that the sentence was justified since the survivor had been affected both physically and psychologically..
The court emphasized that this judgment would act as an effective deterrent to people who victimize children and warned them that the offenses carry severe penalties.
This conviction is another step in the River State justice system’s attempt to see that those who commit sexual offenses against children are punished alongside measures taken to help victims regain their normalcy.
