Olukayode Olugbemi, a clinical psychologist, has told a
court that the minor allegedly molested by Baba Ijesha appeared to have been
tutored in her narration of what transpired.
Baba Ijesha is charged with six counts of indecent treatment
of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual
assault by penetration.
He is undergoing trial before an Ikeja special offences
court.
According to NAN, Olugbemi spoke while testifying as the
third defence witness when the trial resumed on Friday.
The pyschologist argued that “something is wrong” with the
footage of an interview conducted by Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a rights expert and
prosecution witness, with the 14-year-old.
Led in evidence by Dada Awosika, the defence counsel,
Olugbemi said: “There is something wrong with the narration. I think this looks
like a story that someone had relayed to her to repeat.
“There seems to be a deviation from the narration played
out. There’s something called Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI) in psychology. This inventory will let you know if the child is lying or
not.”
Awosika then asked the pyschologist if it was normal for the
narrator (the minor) to go back to the defendant after she had gone to clean
herself as claimed by her in the footage.
“The narrator said he felt the wetness of the defendant
after he told her to sit on his lap and later stood up to clean herself in
which she later went back to the sitting room to watch television. In your
practice, is it normal for the narrator to go back to her abuser?” he asked?
Responding, Olugbemi said it was not normal as children run
to their “safe place” as they face post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“When something like rape or abuse happens, it is supposed
to cause trauma. It is called PTSD. The child moves away from the person and
does not go back again,” he said.
“One of the things children do when something like this
happens is that they go to their ‘safe place’.
“It is either the mother’s room or their own room and hide.
They do not go back to their abuser.
“In the encounter I have had in the past, the next time they
child sees their abuser, you will see visible fears because it is a traumatic
event. It is what she can’t hide.”
Awosika further asked: “You saw from the footage that the
interviewer brought out two dolls and gave the interviewee to describe the
position of the defendant and herself in the sitting room. Is it normal in your
profession?”
In his response, Olugbemi said: “It is not normal. There is
something called suggestibility. When you talk about PTSD, you intentionally
block out memories of the event.
“It has never happened in my session and I have never seen
it in any case.”
During cross-examination by Babajide Martins, Lagos state
director of public prosecutions (DPP), the witness, who admitted this was his
first time giving evidence in court, noted that he could not be absolutely
certain that the event did not happen.
“Yes I can not be absolutely certain that the event did not
take place. There is no uniform way of handling trauma as individuals have
different ways,” he added.
Oluwatoyin Taiwo, the judge, then adjourned the case to
April 1 for the continuation of trial.
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