In a landmark ruling, Justice Aiah Simeon Alieu of the High Court of Sierra Leone has sentenced 30-year-old Sinneh Suma to 34 years in prison for the crimes of incest and sexual penetration.
The sentences, 20 and 14 years respectively, will be served concurrently.
Suma faced charges under Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012, as amended by the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 2019, and Section 10(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2012.
The charges stemmed from incidents occurring between January 1st and September 14th, 2023, in Freetown, where Suma sexually assaulted his 13-year-old daughter.
The accused pleaded guilty to both charges, admitting in his voluntary statement to police that he regularly took his daughter to a farm in Bureh, Western Area Rural District, where the assaults occurred.
In court, Suma revealed that he has three children, including two daughters, and claimed that his deceased father pressured him to “inherit a devil.” Justice Alieu condemned Suma’s actions as not only immoral but also spiritually reprehensible, leading to the substantial prison sentence.
State representation was provided by O.V. Robbin Mason Jnr Esq.
