A Child Forensic Interview expert, Mrs. Anike Ajayi-Kayode, has told Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court that embattled Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, a.k.a Baba Ijesha defiled the girl.
Ajayi-Kayode, the third prosecution witness, who is the Executive Director of the Cece Yara Foundation, a non-governmental organisation founded to prevent child sexual abuse and provide emergency intervention for children, on Tuesday disclosed findings of her interview with the victim.
Giving evidence while being led by Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, the certified child forensic interview specialist who had participated in over 25 child forensic interviews said, “The clinical presentation of child sexual abuse was quite evident. The perpetrator engaged the child in sexual activity when she was seven years old, on two occasions.
According to the prosecution witness, the defendant asked the child if he should remove his penis and asked her to sit on his lap.”
“He told her not to tell anybody. The perpetrator also inserted his car key into her vagina and asked her not to tell anyone.”
The counsel to the defendant sought that the case be adjourned but his request was discountenanced by the trial judge, Justice Taiwo following the plea from DPP that the counsel to the defendant is taking the court for granted as the case is a criminal case.
She testified, “On the 19th of April 2021, he sexually harassed her, touching her body. He told her: ‘I touched you some years back, you are so grown, so developed. Do you have a boyfriend? We have some unfinished business.
“These are the clinical presentations of child sexual abuse.
“These are the dynamics of child sexual abuse and the modus operandi of perpetrators – inculcation of secrecy, intimidation, threat or coercion,” she explained.
Continuing, she said, “My conclusion is that she narrated the whole truth, she was tenacious, she was bold and relaxed.”
The defendant is facing a six count charge of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault by penetration contrary to Sections 135, 263 and 262 of the Criminal Law Ch C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015 and sexual assault by penetration contrary to Sections 259 Criminal Law Ch C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
Justice Oluwatoyin adjourned the trial to October 20 and 21 for further hearing.
