Lagos agency lauds life jail sentence of man for defiling 5-year-old girl

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has hailed a court judgment sentencing a man, Folarin Rauf to life imprisonment for defiling a five-year-old girl in Lagos.

The agency commended the judgment in a tweet posted on Tuesday on its official Twitter handle @LSdvsa, said justice had been served.

According to DSVA, Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday, handed down the sentence after finding the convict guilty of the offence of defilement.

“The sentence passed by Soladoye represents a significant victory in the fight against sexual offences and domestic violence.

“It serves as a warning to perpetrators that justice will always be served,”it stated.

It stated that the convict’s name would be registered in the sexual offenders register as maintained by Lagos state.

The agency said that Rauf was arraigned on Nov. 30, 2021, on one count of defilement which he pleaded not guilty.

DSVA noted that the offence committed contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state 2015.

The agency reiterated the state’s zero tolerance stance while restating commitment to helping survivors of sexual offences and ensuring perpetrators were held accountable for their actions

It urged residents in the state to break the Culture of Silence by reporting cases of all forms of abuse.

“Report any case of domestic or sexual violence by calling the agency’s toll-free line 0800033333,” it stated.