A non-governmental organization, BraveHeart Initiative (BHI), has secured the conviction of a 55-year-old man identified as Frederick Agbozuadu for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.
The organization, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Executive Director, Ms. Priscilla Usiobaifo, said that Agbozuadu had carried out the act in the Egbigere community, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo in 2019.
She said that Chief Magistrate Nosa Musoe of the Magistrate Court, Igarra, Akoko Edo Council Area of the state had on February 9 sentenced the accused to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
According to her, the conviction brings to rest a four-year struggle for justice by the BraveHeart Initiative’s team.
“BraveHeart Initiative began an intervention in the case on Dec 10, 2019, and facilitated the arraignment on Dec. 19, 2019.
“With funding support from OSIWA-OSF, BraveHeart iInitiative team provided comprehensive services, including paralegal aid, psychosocial support, counselling, as well as medicals.
“The organisation also rendered economic assistance to the survivor and her family as well as Covid relief fund.
“This is a well deserved victory for the girl child in Akoko Edo, especially considering the intrigues of this particular case.
“The court verdict is a succinct message of the zero tolerance stance by the current Government of Edo against sexual violation of children.
“It is hoped that this judgment checkmates the impunity of sexual predators and child molesters in Edo” Usiobaifo said.
The BHI executive director also disclosed that the organization, as of February, had facilitated court conviction of 28 sex offenders in 25 sexual assault cases.
“Sexual predators and molesters will no longer go unpunished in Edo; we strongly encourage girls in rural communities to speak out against sex offenders to check this menace.
“Huge congratulations to the BHI team for fighting this to a reasonable end, justice may be delayed, but not denied, ” she said.
