A High Court sitting in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, and presided over by Justice Elias Abuo, has sentenced one Benjamin Okem, to life imprisonment for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl repeatedly over a period, reports CrossRiverWatch.
The verdict, according to the report, was a victory for the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, a leading human rights organization in the state committed to the protection and promotion of the rights of children and indigent women, which had reported the case on the February, 11, 2013.
The organization had dutifully documented the case, supported the victim, pressed for criminal charges on the accused and meticulously watched the complainant’s brief throughout the prosecution of the case in court.
In his judgment, Justice Abuo lambasted the guardian of the innocent victim for exposing the victim to the vulnerable environment which the convict took advantage of.
The judgement incidentally, came on the day the United Nations marked the International Day For Elimination Of Violence Against Women.
