Student Sentenced to 35 Years for Raping 10-Year-Old

​AWKA — A 27-year-old final-year Mass Communication student, Wisdom Edem, has been sentenced to a cumulative 35 years imprisonment by the Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Court sitting at the High Court of Awka, Anambra State, for the rape and abuse of a 10-year-old girl.

​Presiding over the case in Charge No. A/3C/2024 (The State vs. Wisdom Edem), Justice Peace Otti found the defendant guilty on a three-count charge encompassing rape, sexual abuse, and the infliction of physical injury. Edem received sentences of 25 years, five years, and five years for the respective counts.

​Deceived Under Guise of Comedy Skit

​According to court proceedings, the victim recounted how the defendant lured her to his residence under the pretense of filming a “comedy skit.” Having previously collaborated with Edem on minor acting projects, the trusting victim arrived at the location accompanied by her younger sister.

​The court heard that Edem deliberately engineered the victim’s isolation by sending her younger sister back home to retrieve a change of clothes. He then instructed the victim to enter his room under the false pretext that other cast members were waiting inside.

​Upon entering the empty room, Edem locked the door and assaulted her, resulting in severe bleeding. Medical evidence presented by the examining physician confirmed the physical trauma and hemorrhaging sustained by the child on the day of the incident.

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​Defense Dismissed as Frivolous

​Taking the stand in his own defense, Edem denied all allegations, absurdly claiming that he was seduced by the 10-year-old child. He further alleged that the minor had removed his clothing, initiated the encounter, and claimed to be 14 years old with a boyfriend.

​Justice Otti swiftly dismissed the defense’s claims as baseless, emphasizing that medical testimony confirming the presence of blood established the victim’s virginity. The court reinforced the foundational legal principle that a minor lacks the cognitive and legal capacity to give consent.

​Characterizing the assault as a premeditated and calculated act, the judge noted the aggravating circumstance that the defendant exploited the child’s trust under the guise of an unpaid artistic collaboration.

​Convict Absent at Sentencing

​Although Edem had attended previous court proceedings while on bail, he conspicuously absented himself on the day of judgment. Undeterred, Justice Otti proceeded to deliver the verdict in absentia, immediately issuing a bench warrant for his arrest and ordering security agencies to declare him wanted.

​In addition to the prison term, the court ordered the convict to pay the sum of N200,000 as financial compensation to the survivor for the physical injuries inflicted upon her.