A 35 year-old man in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State, Joseph Egwuatu, has denied raping a two-year old girl in his village.
Egwuatu, who was remanded in prison after arraignment by an Awka Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly defiling the two-year-old child, said he was only babysitting the little child when she started crying and bleeding from her private parts.
Egwuatu, aged 35, was arraigned by the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State capital, for the offence, which it said, was punishable under Section 34(2) of the Child’s Right Law of Anambra State, 2004.
During the arraignment, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, duly informed the suspect of his constitutional right to a defense counsel of his choice, before the charge was read and interpreted to him.
But speaking with newsmen on the allegations, Egwuatu claimed that he only volunteered to help babysit the child when he heard her crying as he returned from where he went.
“While I went to babysit her, I was shocked when I got where the child was crying and saw her with blood stains and wounds all over her vagina.
“I was trying to babysit her while also still wondering what could have happened to her, before one of our relatives rushed in and started shouting and accusing me of raping the child, all to my utmost surprise”, he said.
Mr. Egwuatu insisted that he was innocent of the accusations, while wondering what could have made him commit such act against the innocent child who is even related to him by blood.
Speaking on the incident, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo condemned the act and frowned at the rate of rape cases, child molestation and child abuse in the society these days.
She, however, assured that the Ministry would follow the matter to the end, to ensure that justice was served.
It was gathered that the child had since been taken to the hospital for proper medical attention.
