In his sentencing judgment, Judge Wesseh noted that the prosecutor’s evidence produced during the trial was overwhelming to support the decision of the trial jury.
Gbarpolu County—The Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarpolu County has sentenced a 44-year-old man identified as Franklin Gongar for reportedly raping a 12-year-old girl in Gbarnga Gborketa Town in Bokomo District in Gbarpolu County.
The accident occurred on November 1, 2023.
Judge Alphonsus Wesseh’s sentencing on June 25 of convict Gongar comes after the 15-man trial jury brought down a unanimous guilty verdict against him (convict Franklin Gongar).
In his sentencing judgment, Judge Wesseh noted that the prosecutor’s evidence produced during the trial was overwhelming to support the decision of the trial jury.
“This court says that the victim statement corroborated in material and essential parts with state witnesses, which is significant for this court to hold the defendant for the crime of rape,” Judge Wesseh noted.
Judge Wesseh stated that the victim testified that at the time she entered the house that morning to give liquor to the defendant the entire house was emptied, adding, “So, in the mind of this court, the victim’s testimony indicates that she knew how she was sexually abused by the defendant.”
He acknowledged that the victim’s statement and that of her grandmother and the Town Chief validated the statement she earlier made at the Police station.
Judge Wesseh maintained that the victim’s testimonies formed a basic chain that connected and directly linked the defendant to the rape allegation brought against him.
Victim (name withheld) during the trial testified before the court and jury that while she was home the defendant gave her L$50 to go purchase alcohol at one Ma Hawa Timothy’s place. She added that after purchasing the alcohol, (cane Juice) she immediately returned to the defendant’s place to deliver the alcohol to him.
She further narrated that while on her way to deliver the alcohol in the corridor of the convict home, he pushed her into his room and placed his hand on her mouth to prevent her from crying and went on removing her clothes and had sexual intercourse with her.
The victim explained that after the defendant finished sexually abusing her, she started to bleed from her private part (vagina) and he then threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone about what transpired.
She added that when she got home she did not tell anyone owing to afraid that she could have died. She said her family only got to know when her aunty was plaiting her hair at which time she (aunty) alerted her grandmother that she was bleeding.
However, the situation prompted the arrest of defendant Franklin Gongar by the Liberia National Police who investigated and charged him with the crime of rape and subsequently forwarded him to court.
