Special Grade of the Magistrate Court in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State has sentenced one Dele Eric to 14 – years imprisonment without an option of fine for rape and assault of a girl with visible disability.
The Chief Magistrate of the Court, Nosa Musoe found Eric guilty of the crime as applicable in the Edo State Criminal Code Law.
Eric and others committed the offence in Ikpeshi and were accused of inflicting machete wounds on the body of their victims when she resisted them .
He was also accused of masturbating and ejaculating in the face and mouth of the victim who is said to be a person with disability.
Eric was arraigned on charge no MIG/23/2020 and was prosecuted by Inspector Obaze Samuel of the Igarra Area Command of the Nigerian Police.
A statement by the Executive Director, BraveHeart Initiative (BHI) which provided support for the case, Ms. Priscilla Usiobaifo said they were satisfied with the outcome and are determined to continue to facilitate justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria.
She said BHI got funding support from Open Society Foundations-Africa (OSIWA-OSF) and the MacArthur Foundation.
Usiobaifo said “BraveHeart Initiative (BHI) began intervention in the case on January 4, 2020, at the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic; facilitated case transfer to SCIID-Benin City on July 24, 2020 and also facilitated Case Arraignment on August 12, 2020.”
She said “A total of thirty (30) court sittings were held at the Magistrate Court, lgarra – four sittings (4) in 2020; fourteen (14) in 2021;eight (8) in 2022; and four (4) in 2023. The prosecution timeline was significantly elongated as a result of the COVID crisis.
“Despite the slow pace, our team remained fiercely spirited, resilient, and hopeful in the judicial process to deliver justice. We are grateful to the BraveHeart Initiative SGBV case workers for their determination for justice and support to the survivor to access essential services in the face of the several limitations from the rigid COVID-19 protocols in Edo State.
“Despite the health risks and security anxieties during the pandemic, our team of dedicated caseworkers showed remarkable solidarity to survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in rural communities of Edo State.
“BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI) is a youth-led, feminist non-governmental organization promoting young people’s sexual reproductive health and advancing women’s rights in Nigeria.”
