A Nigerian court has handed down a life sentence to a doctor, Olufemi Olaleye, who was found guilty of raping his wife’s teenage niece.
Dr. Olaleye had been sexually assaulting the girl for over a year until his wife discovered the abuse and reported it to the police, according to the prosecutor.
During the trial, the doctor maintained his innocence, but the evidence against him was deemed strong by the judge in a Lagos court, who denied his plea for leniency.
The case against Olaleye began in November of the previous year, with charges relating to two counts of rape between December 2019 and July 2022 when the girl was living with their family.
During the trial, Olaleye’s wife, Aderemi Olaleye, disclosed that she became aware of the abuse when the girl confided in her and their family’s driver.
The girl, who is now 18 years old, revealed that the doctor had been sexually involved with her and had threatened to harm her if she disclosed the situation.
Additionally, Olaleye was accused of forcing the girl to watch explicit material.
The trial involved six witnesses, including the victim, the doctor’s wife, a medical professional, a child-care expert, and two police officers involved in the investigations.
The doctor and his forensic physician also testified in his defense, challenging the medical evidence presented by the prosecution.
However, when delivering the verdict, Justice Rahman Oshodi stated that the evidence presented in court strongly implicated the defendant.
He described Olaleye, who is the medical director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, as a “dangerous” offender who showed no remorse.
The judge pointed out that Olaleye’s earlier confession to the police supported the conclusion that he committed the crimes.
The judge rejected the doctor’s legal team’s arguments that the girl was coached by Olaleye’s wife to lie against him as part of a plot to take over his property.
Justice Oshodi declared, “I, therefore, find the defendant guilty as charged, this charge has a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.”
In his request for leniency, Olaleye’s lawyer, Adebisi Oridate, emphasized the doctor’s contributions as a cancer specialist and highlighted that he was a first-time offender.
Nevertheless, the judge dismissed the plea and ruled that Olaleye must serve a lengthy prison sentence to demonstrate the Nigerian justice system’s stance against sexual violence.
The judge also ordered that the doctor’s name be added to the Lagos State sex offenders register.
It remains uncertain whether the doctor will appeal the sentencing.
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