PENETRATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF RAPE

The essential and most important ingredient of the offence of rape is penetration and unless penetration is proved, the prosecution cannot be said to have proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Penetration however slight is sufficient and it is not necessary to prove an injury or the rupture of the hymen to constitute the crime of rape. See: – EDET OKON IKO VS STATE (2001) 7 SCNJ 391. OKOYOMON VS STATE (1973) 1 SC 21, R VS ALLEN 9C & p 31.

— S.D. Bage, JSC. State v Masiga (2017) – SC

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SCAR OR INJURY ON BODY MAY NOT PASS AS EVIDENCE OF RAPE

In the case of Ibeakanma v. Queen (1963) 2 SCNLR 191, the appellant was charged with rape in that he had sexual intercourse with a married woman against her will. The appellant denied the offence. The trial Judge relied on the scar on the appellant’s shoulder as a result of a bite by the complainant during the intercourse, as corroborative evidence and he convicted the appellant. The Supreme Court found that in the absence of any other evidence implicating the appellant on the offence of rape, the scar on the appellant’s shoulder alone did not constitute corroboration. The appellant was discharged and acquitted.

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MEDICAL EVIDENCE IS NOT PREREQUISITE TO ESTABLISH MURDER

Learned counsel for the appellant raised eyebrows on the failure of the prosecution/respondent to tender any medical report on the death of the deceased victim. It is trite law, that medical evidence though is desirable in establishing the cause of death in a case of murder, it is however not essential or a pre-requisite in a situation where there are facts sufficient enough to show the cause of death to the satisfaction of the Court. See LORI V STATE (supra) Uwaegbe Enewoh v The State (1990) NWLR (pt.145) 469 or (1990) 7 SC.

— Amiru Sanusi, JSC. Ogunleye Tobi v The State (2019) – SC.714/2017

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PENETRATION IS THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT OF RAPE

The essential and most important ingredient of the offence of rape is penetration and unless penetration is proved the prosecution must fail (See R. v. Hill, 1 East P.C 439). But penetration however slight, is sufficient and it is not necessary to prove an injury or the rupture of the hymen to constitute the crime of rape. (See R. v.Allen 9C &p.31).

— Kalgo, J.S.C. Okon Iko v State (2001) – SC.177/2001

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MURDER CASES: MEDICAL EVIDENCE CAN BE DISPENSED WITH

It is conceded that medical evidence is not always essential. Where the victim dies in circumstances in which there is abundant evidence of the manner of death medical evidence can be dispensed with.

– Nnamani JSC. Lori v. State (1980)

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DANGER OF CONVICTING FOR RAPE ON UNCORROBORATED EVIDENCE

It is an established practice in criminal law that though corroboration of the evidence of the complainant in a rape case is not a statutory requirement, it is, in practice, always looked for. In other words, it is now a well established practice, by the courts in Nigeria, that in cases of rape the evidence of the complainant must be corroborated. The nature of the corroboration must necessarily depend on the peculiar facts of each case. Where rape is denied by the accused the sort of corroboration the courts must look for is medical evidence showing injury to the private part of the complainant, injury to other parts of her body which may have been occasioned in a struggle, seminal stains on her clothes or the clothes of the accused or on the place where the offence is alleged to have been committed. Where the prosecution evidence is not sufficiently strong to warrant a conviction, it would be unsafe to convict merely on the accusation of the woman who alleges that she has been raped. The Judge must warn himself against the danger of convicting a man on such uncorroborated testimony. See lbeakanma v. Queen (1963) 2 SCNLR at 195; Reekie v. Queen (1954) 14 WACA 501.

— Katsina-Alu, JSC. Okon Iko v State (2001) – SC.177/2001

ABSENCE OF MEDICAL REPORT IN RAPE CASE NOT FATAL

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PENETRATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF RAPE

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SCAR OR INJURY ON BODY MAY NOT PASS AS EVIDENCE OF RAPE

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MEDICAL EVIDENCE IS NOT PREREQUISITE TO ESTABLISH MURDER

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PENETRATION IS THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT OF RAPE

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MURDER CASES: MEDICAL EVIDENCE CAN BE DISPENSED WITH

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DANGER OF CONVICTING FOR RAPE ON UNCORROBORATED EVIDENCE

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