Olaleye trial: Survivor was forcefully penetrated, medical expert tells court

Oyebimpe Akinbunmi, an health practitioner, has testified before a court in the alleged rape case involving Femi Olaleye, managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation.

Akinbunmi appeared before the Lagos special offences and domestic violence court on Wednesday to explain the findings of her medical examination on the survivor.

The health practitioner told the court that she works at the family medical department of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja and the Mirabel Centre.

Akinbunmi said she is a medical forensic examiner that deals with survivors of sexual abuse and violence.

BACKGROUND

Olaleye, a doctor, is standing trial on a two-count charge of defilement of a child and sexual assault by penetration.

He was accused of sexually violating his wife’s niece for over 20 months.

In December 2022, Aderemi, wife of Olaleye, told the court how her husband allegedly introduced her niece to pornographic content and oral sex.

The survivor (name withheld) had initially appeared before the court in a closed-door session, while journalists and other parties were barred from monitoring the proceedings.

FINDINGS OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION

During Wednesday’s hearing, Akinbunmi said the survivor was presented at the Mirabel Centre on March 15, 2022 for medical examination over the alleged rape incident.

She said before the survivor was subjected to medical examination, the young girl narrated the details of the sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by the defendant.

“She (the survivor) gave the history of repeated sexual abuse since March 2020,” the health practitioner said.

“She said the aunt’s husband (the defendant) usually calls her in the middle of the night when others are sleeping to come downstairs.

“She said the aunt’s husband will remove his trousers and tell her to suck his penis. He sometimes puts his fingers in her vagina.

“She said he also applied something like lubricant before penetrating her vagina with the penis, which she said happened about four times. He also gave her pills after the intercourse and threatened her.”

Speaking about the medical findings, the expert told the court that the findings show that there was “repeated forceful penetrative” injury on the vagina of the survivor.

“After the examination, the major findings were in the genital area. The hymen was angular which means ring-shaped and slightly estrogenised.

“There was a notch at 9 ‘O’ clock position on the hymen and transection at one ‘O’ clock position at the hymen. Transection means a deep cut

“The vagina wall was also unduly visible, revealing more than one-third of the lower vagina.

“The pattern of injury that I saw was consistent with repeated forceful penetrative injury into the vagina. It is an indication of ongoing forceful blunt penetration of the vagina.

“In my medical opinion, if there is a repeated penetrative forceful injury on the vagina, it would be the classical features I saw on the vagina and hymen because it has been ongoing.”

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY DEFENDANT’S COUNSEL

During cross-examination, Babatunde Ogala, the defendant’s counsel, asked if the survivor informed the medical expert of when the alleged sexual abuse ended.

“She only said when the abuse started. She did not say when it stopped,” the health practitioner responded.

Ogala also asked whether the survivor mentioned her age during the medical examination.

“Yes. she said she was18 years old at the time of the medical examination,” the expert said.

The defendant’s counsel asked how the medical expert concluded that the alleged sexual abuse was perpetrated by Olaleye.

“There was no place I concluded that it was the defendant that committed the act. I only stated what she (survivor) told me,” she responded.

Ogala again queried: “You can’t say it is the defendant that committed the act?”

In her response, Akinbunmi said she doesn’t know who committed the alleged sexual abuse.

After further cross-examination by the defendant’s counsel, Rahman Oshodi, the presiding judge, adjourned till January 26 to hear more testimonies from witnesses.