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 “virginity is no longer in vogue” and that as a medical doctor, he usually covers up for girls who have lost their virginity or got pregnant.”
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 today, 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 organisation’s 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 aunt’s husband.
“He used his disposition as the aunt’s 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.”
She also said that the survivor informed her that before the sexual abuse, the defendant had asked her if she was still a virgin.
