Man gets 50 years for rape 

The court said it can be construed that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the victim during the morning hours of November 1, 2023.

Monrovia, June 28, 2024: The Circuit Court in Gbarpolu County has sentenced defendant Franklin Gongar to 50 years imprisonment for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl.

Upon sentencing, the 44-year-old man, assigned Judge Wesseh A. Wesseh, mandated the Authority of the Bopolu Central Prison to continue to hold defendant Gongar pending his transfer to the National Palace of Corrections.

The court said his sentence will be served at the Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, or the Monrovia Central Prison.

The State indicted defendant Gongar during the November A.D. 2023 Term of Court for the crime of Statutory Rape.

According to the indictment, Gongar allegedly raped the victim in the town of Gbarnga  Gborketa, Bokomo Distract, Gbarpolu County on November 1, 2023.

He allegedly had “devious sexual intercourse” with the victim after he gave her L$50.00 to go and buy him liquor (cane juice).

When the victim brought the accused his cane juice to his house, the indictment said defendant Gongar allegedly hauled the victim into his room, removed her wearing, and raped her.

During the alleged raping incident, the accused allegedly put his hand to the victim’s mouth to stop her from crying.

During the case trial, the court said defendant Gongar pleaded not guilty to the indictment.

But the court ruled that the evidence produced by the State has satisfactorily established the guilt of defendant Gongar beyond a reasonable doubt.

“This court, therefore, holds no doubt that the jurors’ majority verdict shall remain permanent,” Judge Wesseh ruled.

“Wherefore and given the foregoing, the guilty verdict of the Trial Jurors is hereby affirmed and confirmed; and Defendant Franklin Gongar is hereby adjudged guilty of the Crime of Statutory Rape and is sentenced to Fifty (50) years of imprisonment,” Judge Wesseh ruled.

The Judge indicated that the testimonies of the State witnesses were all corroborative beyond all reasonable doubt.

From the facts and circumstances, the court said it can be construed that the defendant, indeed caused and had sexual intercourse with the victim during the morning hours of November 1, 2023.

Having sexually abused the victim, the court said she started to bleed before the accused threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

“This was damming evidence that the defendant failed to rebut as his lone testimony cannot be the basis of his acquittal in the face of overwhelming evidence produced by the state,” said the court.

Also, the court noted that the victim’s grandmother testified that she was notified that the Victim was bleeding on the day that her hair aunt was plaiting her hair.

According to the grandmother, the victim narrated that the defendant had raped her after he sent her to buy him liquor.

Also, Mr. David Freeman, the Town Chief of the Town, testified that in part of last November, the victim’s grandmother reported to him that the defendant raped her granddaughter.

Considering that the case of rape was serious, the Town Chief said he reported the case to the police.