Alani Rafiu, a cleric and religious instructor, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 14-year-old girl inside a mosque in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.

On Thursday, the Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (Lagos DSVA) shared the news of Rafiu’s sentencing on X. The case, which had been on for three years as Rafiu was first arraigned in court on October 28, 2021, was decided by the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday.

Rafiu, who committed the crime on August 17, 2021, was found guilty of raping a minor and sentenced to life imprisonment in a court hearing presided by Justice Rahman Oshodi.

READ ALSO: 21-Year-Old Gets 5-Year Jail Term for Sexually Harassing Teenage Girl in Lagos

While delivering his judgment, Oshodi said that the rapist betrayed the trust placed in him as a religious leader and that the physical and psychological trauma inflicted upon the survivor was immeasurable.

“The gravity of your offence cannot be overstated. You betrayed the trust placed in you as a religious instructor and family friend. Instead of nurturing and protecting a vulnerable 14-year-old child entrusted to your spiritual care, you repeatedly sexually abused her in a place of worship,” Justice Rahman Oshodi said.

“This conduct is criminal and represents a profound violation of secular and religious principles. The physical and psychological trauma inflicted on this young girl is immeasurable.

“At an age when she should have been focused on her education and development, she was subjected to experiences that no child should endure.”

This is the most recent case of a rape survivor getting justice and a rapist receiving a prison sentence.

In October, 21-year-old Damilare Olanrewaju was sentenced to five years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Lagos.
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