“He threw something into my eyes, which was later confirmed to be caustic soda” Victim.
By Richmond B Tholley
A 22-year-old farmer, has been sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for pouring caustic soda in his fiancé’s eyes. The convict Mohamed Kamara, is a resident of Kumrabai Masimera village in the Konike Sanda chiefdom, Tonkolili district.
The sentence was handed down by Justice Aiah Simeon Alieu at the Special High Court criminal holding in Magburaka Town, Northern Sierra Leone. The convict, was arraigned before Justice Allieu on three counts of throwing corrosive missiles, assault, bodily harm and causing grievous bodily harm contrary to law. According to the particulars of offence, Mohamed on 20th January,2020, at Kumrabai Masera village in the Kunike Sanda Chiefdom, assaulted one Mariatu Kamara, and poured caustic soda on her eyes.
The 18-year-old victim Mariatu, who has lost her left eye said, she recognized the accused as her fiancé and have been dating for some time now. “On the said date, the convict called me to meet him in his residence which I did as usual. On reaching, he accused me of having another boyfriend in Masingbi and that I must confess”, she said. Mariatu said she tried to convinced him to stop but didn’t listen. “In the process, he threw something into my eyes, which was later confirmed to be caustic soda”, she added.
The victim said she cried in pain for help before neighbors intervened. “I was later taken to the hospital, where it was confirmed by the doctor that my left eye is faulty and has been damaged. I later reported the matter to the Masingbi police station, he was arrested and later taken to the Magburaka Police Division and charged to court”, she said.
Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu in his verdict, said having heard from the prosecution, he’s convinced that the accused committed all three crimes. The Judge said the matter is serious because the victim is an 18-year-old school pupil, who has lost one of her eyes. “In that regard, I am therefore sentencing the accused to 15 years each on count one and two and five years on account three. The convict, should serve 35 years imprisonment concurrently to send a clear message to others”, he said.