Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Assaulting Neighbour's Infant

An Ikeja court handling sexual offences and domestic violence cases has sentenced Victor Dickson to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting his neighbour’s six-month-old baby.

Justice Rahman Oshodi of the court stated that the Lagos State Government had successfully proven the single charge of sexual assault by penetration against the defendant.

Justice Oshodi noted that the circumstantial evidence presented was strong and clearly indicated the convict's guilt, concluding that his attempts to deny involvement were unsuccessful.

The judge observed that Dickson’s testimony in court contradicted his earlier statement to the police. He recalled that Dickson had admitted in his initial statement to carrying the child but denied penetration, whereas in court, he completely denied touching the baby, instead accusing the child’s mother of seeking revenge because he rejected her sexual advances.

According to the judge, the convict showed no remorse and instead fabricated a false accusation, alleging that the survivor’s mother made sexual advances towards him, which he declined.

"The victim in this case is a six-month-old infant, among the most defenceless human beings in existence, and her mother testified before this court how you carried her naked child from the potty while she was washing clothes outside," the judge stated.

"You betrayed the trust that the mother of the child had in you by picking up the naked baby from her potty, carried her into your room, closed your door and violated her.

"She cried throughout; she could not speak and she could not call for help.

"You have shown no remorse whatsoever. Rather than acknowledge what you did, you constructed a false story, designed to smear the reputation of the mother who went into the witness box, recounting the worst day of her life."

The court emphasized the need to protect society and deter others from such 'animalistic conduct' given the victim's extreme vulnerability as a six-month- old infant.

"I sentence you, Victor Dickson, to life imprisonment.

"You shall serve the sentence at the maximum security custodial centre.

"You shall also be registered as a sexual offender under Section 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021," Oshodi ruled. (NAN)