Teenage Ethiopian Boy Sentenced to 14 years with Bogus 'Homosexual Act's' Charge

Damage Control For Minister Zenebu or what?

 

It seems like TPLF led government and its 'judiciary' in Ethiopia are in a mood to make damage control following the scandal surrounding Minister Zenebu Tadesse's  protesting tweet against Uganda's Anti-Gay bill on her 'hacked twitter account'. The timing and the prey/scapegoat can't go wrong; even if the prosecutor couldn't bring any eye witness account and circumstantial evidence other than just the victim's psychiatric examination, the judge opted to sentence the alleged rapist to such a harsh punishment in which he is going to spend more than a decade of his adolescent life in prison. 

No Evidence but Guilty, TPLF Style 

The 17-year-old teenager, was charged for allegedly engaging in homosexual acts with his nephew and was sentenced to 14 years of jail on March 4th, 2014. 

The defendant argued denying the charges and brought four witnesses to testify on his behalf. One of the witnesses was the father of the victim. He insisted that his brother

would never do anything like that and that he would have known if he had since they all live together. The neighbor and sister of the defendant also added that since she rarely leaves the house, the said act could not have been done. A long time friend of the defendant also explained that the defendant's behavior doesn't align with the act and that since they spend so much time together he could not have done it.

On the other hand, witness of the public prosecutor and mother of the victim, said that her son was living with his father and told her not to get mad at him while explaining what the uncle (defendant) had done to him. Even though there was no medical evidence, the public prosecutor Kebkab Gizaw attached a psych exam from Yekatit Hospital substantiating that there was a self esteem issue with the victim.

The charge states that the defendant violated the Criminal Code Article 631(1)(b) on an unknown date. The defendant threatened the six-year old boy telling him he would stab him if he said anything and repeatedly raped him, the charge read.

After a proceeding that took more than two years, on March 4 the Lideta Federal First Instance Court 7th Criminal Bench presiding Judge Abeba Alemu sentenced the defendant to 14 years in jail and banned him from any legal activity for four years after he finishes his sentence.

Source: AllAfrica