BY ROMINAH FAKA
The case of a 43-year-old man charged with sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 15, a male child aged seven years old, was mentioned at the Magistrate Court yesterday.
The accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, is on police bail and appeared in court yesterday.
Yesterday was the case’s second mention where prosecution informed court that the accused is yet to confirm his legal representation.
However, a defence counsel present in court said he was the legal representative allocated from Public Solicitors for the accused.
Defence said it is yet to receive disclosures from prosecution.
Prosecution said it needed time to compile its case, since it had just received outstanding documents on Tuesday this week.
Court adjourned the case for May 15, where the suspect is expected to take his plea.
Prosecution alleged that the suspect on an unknown date between August 1 and December 31, 2020 committed the crime on the victim.
The incident reportedly took place at a house in Talise, Central Honiara.
The victim’s mother was reportedly doing the laundry outside the house, when the accused approached the boy and told him to follow him into the bedroom.
Once inside the room, the accused allegedly instructed the child to take his clothes off.
The accused then committed the offence on the boy.
Prosecution adds that while the accused was performing the act on the boy, the accused had a knife with which he used to threaten the boy not to make a sound, otherwise he would cut the boy’s neck.
Following the incident, the boy reportedly experienced problems which include soiling himself unexpectedly and bleeding.
Later, the boy finally told his mother what the accused had done to him.
The matter was reported to police on January 8 this year.
On April 3 this year the accused was formally arrested after an investigation was conducted.
Office of Director of Public Prosecution act for the crown and Bobby Harunari act for the accused.
