Madrasa teacher jailed for 30 years over sodomy
What you need to know:
- Victims testimony helps the court to reach verdict
- Magistrate says the sentence should serve as a lesson
Dar es Salaam. A Madrasa teacher, Mr Abdillah Sharifu, 30, has been jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of sodomising a boy aged 11.
Sharifu, a resident of Gongo la Mboto in Dar es Salaam was handed the sentence today, October 3, by Ilala District Court.
The accused is alleged to have committed the offence against the minor and threatened to bewitch him if he had told his parents about the incident.
Reading the sentence, Principal Resident Magistrate, Mr Juma Hassani, said he was satisfied with the evidence produced by four prosecution witnesses, including a doctor.
"Sherriff, I have found you guilty of offences you have been charged with. So, I’m sentencing you to 30 years in jail to serve as a lesson to others people with similar behaviour," said the Magistrate.
"The act you have committed is barbaric. It is unconceivable that a person of your caliber, a religious teacher, could commit such a serious offence,” said the Magistrate.
When testifying during the hearing of the case, the victim told the court that on February 25, this year, the accused wanted to accompany him to his (convict) place.
The boy further told the court that soon after arriving at the home of Ustadhi, who has a wife with eye sight problems, he (boy) was told to take off his clothes while and his teacher did the same and he started performing the act on him.
He later threatened him not to tell anyone, including his parents, otherwise he would bewitch him.
“This went on for several days before my mo0ther found out and she forced me to report the incident at Mazizini Police Post,” said the boy in his evidence.
Earlier, a state lawyer, Mr Grace Mwanga, asked the court to mete out heavy punishment against the accused to serve as a deterrent to others with similar intent.
