A 63-year-old pastor, Chris Douglas, has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja for raping a church member’s daughter.
Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled on Thursday that Douglas, the General Overseer of Peculiar Generation Assembly Church in Oshodi, abused his position of authority and trust to exploit the victim.
The judge described the act as a severe violation of trust, stating that “the convict occupied a position of spiritual authority and was regarded as a father figure by the victim and her family.”
He went on to say that rather of safeguarding that trust, the defendant “betrayed it in the most reprehensible manner.”
The court determined that the abuse took place in a hotel on multiple occasions, adding that the girl and her family relied on the pastor for spiritual direction.
Justice Oshodi further remarked that the prosecution established that the victim experienced severe psychological distress as a result of the abuse.
“The court accepts the evidence that the victim suffered depression and recurring suicidal thoughts as a direct consequence of the cpnvict’s actions,” he said.
During the trial, the prosecution, lead by Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Babajide Martins, called five witnesses, including the victim, her mother, and a doctor.
Medical and documentary exhibits were also submitted as evidence.
The girl told the court that the cleric first drugged and assaulted her in September 2017.
“I trusted him like a spiritual father. I never imagined he could do this to me,” she testified.
Her mother also informed the court that she confronted the pastor after learning about the incident.
“When I went to his church, he cried and said it was the work of the devil. He begged us in front of the elders,” she said.
The complainant stated that the incident was eventually reported to a human rights organisation, the Makinde Division police, and the Mirabel Centre for a medical evaluation.
However, the convict rejected the claims and stated in court that the connection was consensual.
However, Justice Oshodi denied the petition, concluding that the evidence presented to the court indicated rape beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The defence of consent is not supported by the totality of the evidence before the court,” the judge ruled.
The court examined both oral and documentary evidence and evaluated objections brought by the defence under the Evidence Act of 2011.
While some papers were excluded for noncompliance, the court ruled that Dr Maria Fadaka’s oral testimony remained admissible.
In his decision, the judge stated that, while certain claimed instances were not sufficiently proven to have occurred before January 2018, the prosecution successfully established rape in cases when the victim was already 18 years old.
As a result, the court freed the defendant on six counts of defilement and sexual assault while finding him guilty of three counts of rape.
Justice Oshodi sentenced Douglas to life imprisonment on each count, ruling that the sentences would run concurrently.
“The law must protect the vulnerable, and this court will not hesitate to punish abuse of trust in the strongest terms,” the judge declared.
The court also ordered that the convict’s name be added to the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Registry.
