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“Investing in innovation will not just transform the School; it could transform the country, too.” –Rev Canon Leonard Ken Davies, School Principal.
Tomorrow’s business leaders, innovators and technologists are being equipped for the future at SLGS. Research suggests 65% of today’s students will work in jobs that have not yet been created (McKinsey Global Institute & World Economic Forum) – so empowering our students with STEM skills puts them at the forefront of innovative thinking.
THE DISTURBING CASE OF RAPE AND MURDER of the little five-year-old girl, Khadijah Saccoh, raised many emotional feelings and for various different reasons. Many including the President, the First Lady, the Attorney General, the Police, family members, lawyers, other commentators and interested parties have homed in with a multitude of analyses and allegations. Protest Groups interested in children's welfare have demonstrated their abhorrence, anger, sorrows, and sympathies at all levels. But, are the Histories of Yesterday, Lessons enough for happenings of Today?
Much has been written of this sad incident so, this piece is not going to be a recital of many theories and stories that have been proffered by different interested parties. The Police have come out with Press statements and media interviews as public opinions - mainly 'Social Media Public Courts' have already pronounced their own judgments as to who did what and when, and who is and is not guilty of this heinous crime; forgetting that in a democratic and civilised world, an accused in INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTYby a competent Tribunal. This is a fundamental Human Right of the accused and the Law allows that the other side must be heard, however much one feels or convinced that the accused person is responsible. THE LAW IS THE LAW; JUSTICE CAN ONLY BE OBTAINED THROUGH EVIDENCE IN A COMPETENT COURT OF LAW!
In light of the above, the story below hit me very heard when I came across it whilst researching an unrelated matter of Children's welfare. I could not really believe at first but, going through this story of a five (5) year old girl born in 1933, given birth to a healthy baby boy in 1939, after being rapped, and the person who did the act was never found out makes me wonder whether, with all that has been going on in protecting young girls and women, lessons have been learned and/or systems/laws/ actions could ever be put in place to eradicate such acts from happening in the future. The irony in this 1933/1939 story, is that five (5) year old mother is still alive today, aged 87! Thanks to the author's information.
I was also moved by the recent audio analysis of Lawyer Kaloko in which he advocated for the rights of the accused, taking into account the many theories and condemnations that have been pronounced against the arrested accused male, whilst the police theories and medical involvement are unclear to the extent that, the Solicitors representing the accused are calling for a second autopsy. The pains and tassel between the estranged biological parents are an added factor that must not be ignored. This is why nobody should run away with his or her emotions as many different facets are evolving and some concerned parties are being seen as having secondary interests in this sad and pitiful incident. BUT ARE THE HISTORIES OF YESTERDAY STILL ONGOING TODAY? CAN THIS BE A LESSON FOR THE FUTURE? READ ON! Lawyer Abubakar Kaloko audio commentary. Click and listen. (English version) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dcej6zLdaHiKA8bcSUpPzwGnIiij_6V2/view?usp=drivesdk
Letter from Khadija's Father in the USA
From: Abubakarr Saccoh (aka Congolese) 9 Wellesley Ct, New Castle, N DE 19720 23 June 2020
To: United States of America Consular Department Freetown email only: consularfreetown@state.gov.gov
Dear Sirs
Re: Request for assistance with forensic testing service concerning the murder of Kadijah Madinatu Saccoh, aged 5.
I write following our recent communication on the 18 June 2020, concerning my daughter Kadijah Madinatu Saccoh. She was born on 29 March 2015 and sadly passed away on the 17 June 2020 in Freetown Sierra Leone, West Africa. The autopsy report has revealed the cause of death which included the following: fractured ribs; spinal cord injury, thyroid cartilages with dislocation; a fixture of the cervical vertebrae, with spinal cord injury, manual strangulation (asphyxiation), virginal and anal dilatation. I am an American national, my passport number is……, Date of Issue and Expiry date…. My daughter, the deceased, Kadijah Madinatu Saccoh, is also an American national, passport number 642927079, Date of issue 25 January 2019 and Date to expire 24 January 2019. I have enquired about the required forensic to aid the prosecution in the murder of Kadijah but has been reliably informed that no such services exist in Sierra Leone. I have also researched about acquiring the required forensic that would expedite the matter by contacting independent organisations such as Public Health England in Sierra Leone. However, they and other nongovernment organisations lack the proper testing such as PCR-based testing and gel electrophoresis-based testing for criminal investigative purposes in Sierra Leone. My research also suggests that the nearest testing centre, including specialist forensic services concerning criminal matters, is in Ghana. I would, therefore, ask kindly for your assistance to provide and fund the relevant forensic testing service. These would include specialists to conduct and collect the appropriate samples to aid in the prosecution of the culprit concerning Kadijah’s murder and which would also help to advance the interest of fair justice. The deceased body is at Connaught hospital, mortuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone. I would appreciate if this letter is given the utmost urgency, it deserves to preserve the quality of the forensic results to aid in the prosecution of the perpetrator for such heinous crimes of murder and rape. Please find attached copies of the following documents for your ease of reference: • passport of Kadijah Madinatu Saccoh • passport of Abubakarr Saccoh • death certificate of Kadijah Madinatu Saccoh I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours faithfully Abubakarr Saccoh (aka Congolese)
_______________________________
The World’s Youngest Mother Who Gave Birth at the Age of 5 - Lina Medina
Lina Marcela Medina is confirmed to be the youngest mother in history, giving birth at the young age of 5 years and 7 months old. Lina was born on September 23, 1933, in Peru. She came from what seemed to be a humble family, her mother by the name of Victoria Losea who was a housemaker and her father by the name of Tiburelo Medina who was a silversmith.
At the age of 5 and 6 months, her parents noticed an abnormal abdominal swelling which at first sight they thought it could have been some sort of tumor but would have never guessed that upon diagnosis from Dr. Gerardo Lozada, Lina was actually 7 months pregnant. At first, the parents didn’t even imagine that it is possible to be pregnant at that age and took Dr. Gerardo for a fool. Therefore they have taken Lina to a specialist which actually confirmed the original diagnosis.
Rape, Incest, or something even Grimmer?
Upon hearing this news, the doctor called the police which immediately arrested Lina’s father as the first suspect. After a week of interrogation, the police had to let Tiburelo go as they didn’t have enough evidence to prove that the father had impregnated her own child. The second suspect was Lina’s cousin who apparently had mental difficulties which made the authorities think he would be capable of such a horrific act, but once again with no evidence, the police were not able to prosecute him as the father of Lina’s child.
Victoria Losea and Tiburelo Medina (Lina’s parents)
The authorities tried to get some answers from Lina in the presence of her mother to see if she remembered anyone harming her or raping her. With the child extremely confused about everything that was happening to her, the police once again had no lead to a potential suspect or suspects. With no further evidence, nor leads, the authorities dropped the case.
In an article about the case from 1955, the author Luis Leon states that many of the remote villages from Peru held regular “religious festivals” that lead to group sex or even rape which did include minors or children of such young ages as Lina. In the absence of a more plausible theory on Lina’s case, it is believed that she was in fact raped at one of these strange and sick festivals. Giving birth at the age of 5
Due to her young age and undeveloped body for a pregnancy, the only way for her to give birth to the baby was via a cesarean section, this implicated many risks that could have put Lina’s life at risk. When Lina was 8 months pregnant and her parents were pressured by the media, her mother did confess that Lina started her menstruations at the age of 3. It was later found out by specialists that she suffered from a condition know as precocious puberty, meaning that her sexual organs would developed at a very young age, Glands that secrete growth and sex hormones begin to function abnormally early in life resulting in this condition. The exact cause of this condition is still unknown.
Lina recovering after giving birth in 193
The Doctors at the maternity knew that there was a high chance for the baby to have major difficulties as Lina’s young organism was thought at the time to be undeveloped, therefore not able to offer the baby the nutrition required when developing during the 9 months of pregnancy. With a miracle, the baby was born healthy at a perfect weight of 2.7 kilograms and coincidentally on mother’s day 14th of May, 1939.
The child was named Gerardo Medina, a name inspired by Lina’s doctor who helped her through labor. The father’s identity still remains a mystery even to this day. What is sure is that Lina was another innocent young victim of sexual abuse. What is more horrifying is that this is still happening to this day.
Lina with Gerardo at the age of 1
Lina’s parents tried to offer her child and their grandchild a normal childhood by explaining to them as they grew up the relation between the two. It’s admirable that Lina’s parents protected her privacy and did not use Lina’s unique condition for financial gain. Many researchers and doctors took a big interest in Lina’s case and therefore wanted to study her as well as her child. Lina’s parents once again refused as they wanted to offer Lina a normal childhood.
Lina Medina in 2018
Lina is still alive and well today, at the proud age of 87. Not much is known about Gerardo Medina, nor throughout the last decades as the public had respected the privacy of the Medina family.
