The trial of the Managing Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr. Femi Olaleye on allegations of defilement & sexual assault of a minor resumed on Tuesday at the Lagos State Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, with the testimony of a forensic child care expert, Mrs. Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode.
Before Justice Rahman Oshodi, Mrs Ajayi-Kayode who is the third prosecution witness, narrated the outcome of her forensic interview session with the sexual assault survivor (name withheld).
She disclosed that the defendant told the survivor that โvirginity is no longer in vogueโ and that as a medical doctor, he usually covers up for girls who have lost their virginity or got pregnant.โ
At the last sitting of the court in December, the survivor had testified behind closed doors in a proceeding which was barred to members of the public including journalists.
At the proceedings on Tuesday, Mrs Ajayi-Kayode, who is the assistant director of The Cece Yara Foundation and also a lawyer, said her organisation was engaged by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins to carry out a forensic interview on the survivor.
She said she conducted the forensic interview on the survivor on the 5th of October, 2022 at her organisationโs office located in the Gbagada area of Lagos after which the report was submitted to DPP on the 15th of October, 2022.
According to her, proceedings of the forensic interview was monitored by representatives of the police, office of the DPP, ministry of justice, and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.
In her testimony, Ajayi-Kayode said that the child told her that she had never been sexually abused by anyone except the doctor who is her auntโs husband.
โHe used his disposition as the auntโs husband to gain access to the child for sexual activity. He engaged the child in sexual activities over a period of time, not just one time and he used threat and coercion to maintain control over the child.โ
She also said that the survivor informed her that before the sexual abuse, the defendant had asked her if she was still a virgin.
โShe also said the day the auntโs husband had penetrative sex with her, there was blood and he used tissue paper to wipe it offโ.
The witness also said that the survivor informed her that the defendant usually woke her up at midnight from his kidsโ room and asked her to prepare coffee.
During the process of making coffee, the defendant would sexually abuse the survivor.
โThe auntโs husband comes at night to check if the window is closed, after which he will wake her up and ask her to come and prepare coffee for him downstairs,โ she said.
โDuring one of the occasions, he started by touching her inappropriately, lifted her nightgown, put his fingers into her private parts and on other occasions, he would make her perform oral sex.
โShe also informed me that he perpetrated the abuse in the part of the sitting room where the CCTV camera did not cover.โ
He threatened to โabandonโ his family members and travel out of the country if the survivor reported the rape incident to her aunt.
After the testimony, the court admitted in evidence the report of the forensic interview and a flash drive containing the video recording of the interview.
Under cross-examination from the defendantโs lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Babatunde Ogala, the witness was asked to explain the basis of her conclusion that Dr Olaleye engaged the survivor in โserial sexualโ activities.
She responded that she drew her conclusion based on her findings as it related to the forensic interview with the survivor. She also mentioned that she spoke with a psychologist and the police.
Justice Rahman Oshodi has adjourned to Wednesday, January the 4th for the continuation of trial.
Dr Femi Olaleye is facing a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wifeโs 16-year-old niece.
He was arraigned by the Lagos State government on Nov. 30 and at his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.
