By ADENIKE AYODELE

An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Thursday sentenced a 63-year-old pastor, Chris Mcdouglas to life imprisonment for raping his 18-year-old church member’s daughter, (name withheld).

Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced Mcdouglas, a pastor at the Peculiar Generation Assembly Church, Lagos, to life imprisonment after he found him guilty of rape.

The judge, however, discharged him of six-count-charge out of the nine-count-charge, bothering on defilement, sexual assault, indecent treatment of a child brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

Oshodi, in his judgment on Thursday, held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charge of rape against the pastor.

Oshodi described the offence as a grave betrayal of trust that left the survivor with lasting psychological trauma.

The court found that the cleric, regarded within his congregation as a “spiritual father” exploited his position of authority to sexually abuse the survivor.

According to the court, the abuse is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of manipulation and coercion.

Evidence before the court showed that the survivor reported the incident to the police shortly after it occurred, leading to an investigation and eventual prosecution.

“The impact on the victim has been devastating, particularly given the trust reposed in you as a religious leader.

“This court reject any suggestion that the relationship was consensual as the victim was a minor at the time the incident happened and she cannot give valid consent.

“Testimony also revealed that the victim’s mother confronted the cleric at the church after learning of the abuse, further underscoring the breach of moral and spiritual responsibility,” Oshodi said.

During the trial, the court heard evidence of the devastating impact the abuse had on the victim.

She reportedly suffered depression and experienced recurring suicidal thoughts, pointing to the lasting emotional damage caused by the incident.

The court scrutinised testimonial, medical and electronic evidence presented by the prosecution, alongside objections raised by the defence under the Evidence Act 2011.

The defence had urged the court to reject a medical report and related police referral documents, arguing non-compliance with statutory provisions.

The court agreed in part, holding that certain documents were improperly admitted and should be discountenanced.

However, it ruled that the oral testimony of the medical expert remained admissible and could stand independently.

Citing precedent, the judge held that expert testimony may still carry weight even where accompanying documentation is flawed.

The court found credible and corroborated evidence supporting allegations of abuse at a family residence and a hotel between September and December 2017.

“The victim gave a detailed account of an initial incident in September 2017, describing how she was a drugged and raped by the defendant and her testimony was corroborated with her mother’s, who observed physical distress shortly after the incident.

“The defendant also confirmed to the court that he took the survivor to hotels on several occasions,” Oshodi said.

The court consequently convicted the pastor on the charge of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The court also ordered that the convict’s name should be written in Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins, called five witnesses while Defence Counsel, Mr Yusuf Nurudeen also called five witnesses during trial. (NAN)

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