Rapist begs for mercy, says he was drunk

A 31-year-old man, Austin Okoro, has to convince the Oyo State Police that he was actually drunk when he allegedly raped an 11-year-old girl. The now sober Okoro has been begging the parents of the girl to forgive him, promising never to indulge in such an act again.

According to the report, Okoro who lives at Idi-Oro area of Queens Cinema, Ibadan, the state capital, had forcefully had carnal knowledge of the girl after returning from a ceremony he attended.

The report has it that he had dragged the girl to his room forcefully as he staggered in from his outing, used a piece of cloth to cover her mouth to prevent her from screaming, and raped her repeatedly.

The girl who was admitted at Naomi Hospital, Oke Padre, in the city, as a result of excessive bleeding after the forceful rape, told the police that Okoro had muffled her cry and threatened to kill her if she should tell anyone about what he did.

Tests carried on the girl indicated that her hymen had been broken as a result of the act while doctors battled to stop the bleeding to save her life.

The Imo State-born suspect, while weeping profusely, confessed to the crime to Tribune Newspaper Crime Reports.

"I am surprised to find myself in the current situation I am because I have never raped anyone in my life. On the day, it was a Sunday and after church service, I learnt that the celebration of World Igbo Day was going on at Adamasingba Sports Stadium.

Since I have never been part of past celebrations, I decided to go to have a firsthand feeling of the event. Prior to that day, I had stopped taking alcoholic drink because it was not helpful to me. I was strictly warned against it.

After viewing the different events packaged for the day, I decided to leave for home. On my way out of the stadium, I met one of my friends who called me and offered me a cup of beer.

Initially, I told him I was off drinking alcohol but he said I should not disgrace him by rejecting his offer, so I took the beer and drank. At the end of the day, I took five bottles of beer. After a while, my mother called me to come to her place to eat so I left others and headed for home.

As I was entering the compound of my residence, I saw the girl in question standing with a man. I asked her what she was doing with the man and beckoned at her, asking her to follow me. She obeyed and followed me to my room. I asked her to take a seat and she did.

I removed my shirt and when I saw that she didn’t make any move to leave, I started fondling her. I removed her pants after she raised her clothes up. As a man, coupled with the mood I was in, I had sex with her.

I didn’t force her or hold her down as is being said. I did not beat her and she did not resist me. I was not in my right senses when I was doing it, because if I was, I wouldn’t have done it. Immediately I ejaculated, withdrew and saw blood gushing out, I stood up, frightened.

Even if I see the girl now, I can’t recognise her. I have not even deflowered any girl before in my life. I usually avoid having sex with virgins. There was a lady I was dating and when she told me she was a virgin, I sent her away.

I find the bloody outcome of deflowering a girl irritating. Also I feel it is not good to deflower a girl I am not going to marry. I was out of my senses when this thing happened.

To show that I didn’t know what I was doing, I was the one that opened the door for the girl and when her parents came, I welcomed them and suggested taking the girl to the hospital. If I knew I was guilty, there was ample opportunity for me to have run away.

If you speak with my pastor, he will tell you that I used to preach to people. I had already stopped drinking before that fateful day. The devil just crept into my life to disgrace me by allowing myself to be lured into drinking.

I don’t like too much sex. Even my ex-girlfriend will tell you that I severed relationship with her when she wanted to kill me with sex. The last time I had sex was three months ago.

But I have not been having sexual urge because I don’t think about it. I don’t smoke, I don’t take drugs. I find it hard to forgive myself for what I have done to this young girl but I can tell you that I was not in my right senses when I did it."

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Kola Sodipo, however, would not buy into Okoro's plea and has vowed to charge him to court after the completion of investigations.