The Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Offences Court in Awka has remanded a 15-year-old teenager for allegedly raping an 18-year-old girl.
The teenager is facing a one-count charge bordering on rape.
He, however,, pleaded not guilty to the charge, saying that the act was consensual.
Earlier the Police Prosecutor, Insp. Chinyere Okechukwu told the court that the defendant committed the offense on March 10 at Agbani in the Umuawulu community, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra.
Okechukwu said that the complainant, who is the mother of the alleged victim, told the police that on a faithful day, she had sent her daughter to the farm to deliver food to the workers and to gather some firewood from the bush on her way home.
“The defendant encountered her in the bush while she was collecting firewood, overpowered her, tore her clothing, and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.
“After a medical examination and inquiry at the Ntasi Sexual Assault Referral Centre at General Hospital Enugu-Ukwu, a medical practitioner confirmed that the girl had been raped,” the prosecutor told the court.
She said the offense contravened Section 130(2) (a) (b) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022.
She prayed the court to remand the suspect to a Correctional facility.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs U.E. Onochie ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Awka Correctional facility pending advice by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Onochie adjourned the case until May 7, for mention.
