Freetown, September 16, 2025 – An 18-year-old man, Abu Bakarr Koroma, has been handed a four-year prison sentence by Magistrate Solomon Christian Kekurah of the York Village Court after being found guilty of domestic violence and sexual harassment against his stepmother.
Koroma received two years on each count, with the magistrate ordering that the terms run consecutively. In addition, the court committed him to the High Court on a separate charge of grievous bodily harm after he allegedly poured caustic soda on his stepmother, Jamilatu Koroma, leaving her blind in her right eye.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, September 10, Magistrate Kekurah noted that the prosecution had proven its case “beyond reasonable doubt.”
He added that Koroma could face further investigation for rape, which falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
During the trial, the prosecution presented three witnesses, including the victim herself.
Testifying in court, 28-year-old Jamilatu Koroma recounted that on the evening of April 3, 2025, she returned from work and gave the accused Le 5 and her phone to buy airtime. Later that night, she awoke to find him standing by her bed holding a knife and a stick.
She told the court that Koroma attacked her, dousing her face with a substance she later discovered was caustic soda.
“It was so painful that I cried out, saying, ‘You have killed me,’” she testified. She further alleged that he demanded money, her phone, and sexual intercourse, and forcibly assaulted her when she refused.
Magistrate Kekurah limited details of the sexual assault, citing the lower court’s lack of jurisdiction to rule on rape charges.
However, he emphasized that the evidence of violence and psychological harm was overwhelming.
Koroma offered no plea for leniency before sentencing.
The case will now move to the High Court for further proceedings on the grievous bodily harm charge and possible rape indictment.
