The Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Court at the High Court of Awka, Anambra State, has sentenced a 27-year-old final-year Mass Communication student, Wisdom Edem, to a total of 35 years in prison. He received 25 years for rape, five years for sexual abuse, and another five years for injuring a 10-year-old girl.
This ruling came on Wednesday under Charge No. A/3C/2024. Justice Peace Otti presided over the case. The court found Edem guilty on all three counts: the State vs. Wisdom Edem.
The charges were serious: “Count 1: Rape, contrary to Section 34(2) of the Child’s Rights Law of Anambra State, 2004; Count 2: Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, contrary to Section 35(2) of the Child’s Rights Law; Count 3: Inflicting Physical Injury, contrary to Section 4(1) of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, Anambra State, 2017.
Chinelo Akorah, the Principal State Counsel from the Anambra State Ministry of Justice, led the prosecution. She presented six witnesses and submitted important evidence, including Edem's confession and medical records.
The charge sheet detailed how the 10-year-old victim, referred to as PW1, described how Edem tricked her into coming to his house for a 'comedy skit.' She mentioned that she had worked with him before and brought her younger sister along. Once they arrived, he sent the sister home to get clothes for her and told her to enter his room where 'others were waiting.'
Inside, there was no one else. He locked the door, assaulted her, and she started to bleed. A doctor who examined her later confirmed the injuries and bleeding in court.
Edem denied the accusations and claimed that the girl seduced him. He said she took off his clothes, forced him into her, and screamed. He also claimed she told him she was 14 and had a boyfriend.
The court did not accept his defense. It noted that the presence of blood proved the girl was a virgin. The judge emphasized that a child cannot give consent under the law. She labeled Edem's actions as planned and deliberate.
The judge expressed disappointment that Edem did not even pay the girl for the supposed skit, adding, 'To add insult to injury, he raped her.' The judge stated that the victim's testimony matched Edem's confession, which acknowledged that she had come to his house with her sister.
Additional testimonies from PW2 to PW6, including a police officer and a vigilante who arrested Edem, supported the prosecution's case. Edem was on bail and present for his trial but was not in court on the day of the judgment.
The judge continued with the ruling in his absence, following the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest, and police were instructed to circulate his photos online.
The judge declared, 'The prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through eyewitness testimony, strong circumstantial evidence, and Edem's own confession.' The court directed Edem's university not to award him a certificate until he finishes his prison term.
He was also ordered to pay a fine of N200,000 as compensation to the victim for the harm he caused. The Principal State Counsel and PRO from FIDA received praise for their efforts in securing this conviction.
This judgment shows that Anambra State has no tolerance for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. The Anambra State Ministry of Justice remains committed to making sure that offenders face the full force of the law.
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