A shocking case of sexual assault committed against a young child in a place of worship came to a close on Monday, as the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court delivered its verdict. The perpetrator, 27 year old Saviour Udoh, who worked as a cleaner at the church, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous crime.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Ramon Oshodi stated that the evidence presented by the prosecution against the perpetrator, Saviour Udoh, was compelling and irrefutable, affirming the defendant’s guilt in committing the heinous crime of defilement against the young victim.
In a case that began on February 5, 2020, Saviour Udoh was charged with the grave offense of sexual assault by penetration, despite being accused of such a crime, he pleaded not guilty in a flagrant disregard of the evidence against him.
In his statement, the prosecution counsel, I.D. Solarin, affirmed that Saviour Udoh’s actions constituted a violation of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, specifically Section 261, which outlines the legal ramifications of sexual assault by penetration.
The court gathered that the abhorrent act of sexual assault committed by Saviour Udoh occurred within the sanctity of a well-known Pentecostal church in Ikeja, Lagos, on December 12, 2018.
Udoh, who was entrusted with maintaining the cleanliness of the church, abused his position to sexually assault a vulnerable, sleeping child within the children’s department of the church.
The victim’s mother reported the crime to the authorities, leading to Udoh’s arrest.
In his pronouncement of the verdict, Justice Oshodi emphasized the gravity and reprehensible nature of the crime committed by Udoh.
He said, “The court has carefully considered the evidence presented during the trial, including the confessional statement, the testimony of the victim, her mother, the IPO, and the medical evidence. The crime he has committed is a grave one as it involves sexual exploitation of a vulnerable child.”
During his judgment, Justice Oshodi drew attention to the severe and enduring consequences the victim continues to experience as a result of the crime committed against her by Udoh.
Justice Oshodi stated: “The impact of your action on the victim and her family cannot be overstated. In her testimony, the victim’s mother stated that she was still taking the victim to the hospital three years after the incident and that the victim was still having discharges.
“The victim who was only five years old at the time of the incident trusted you, and her mother entrusted her in your care. You breached that trust, most disgustingly, by sexually assaulting the child. Sexual assault by penetration is a serious offence that attracts a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment under Section 261 of the Criminal Law.”
After carefully evaluating the evidence and impact of the crime, Justice Oshodi found Udoh guilty of the singular count of sexual assault by penetration, handing down a life sentence for the grave offense committed against the child. Furthermore, the judge ordered that the convict’s name be added to the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
