EFSTH doctor testifies in rape, incest trial

The acting head of Department of Oral and Dental Surgery at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Dr Okafor Eugene, yesterday testified in the trial involving one Musa Keita, accused of rape and incest, before Justice Amadi of the Special Criminal Court in Banjul.

In his testimony, Dr Okafor said he lives at Dippa Kunda in Serrekunda and is a dental surgeon and practises at the EFSTH, where he is the acting head of department of oral and dental surgery.

He holds a BA in dental surgery from the University of Lagos in 1990, and he is also a cleft-lip surgeon at EFSTH.

He was familiar with the survivor, he told the court.

According to Dr Okafor, the survivor was brought to EFSTH hospital for examination of age.

He determined the survivor’s age by looking at the coloration between the teeth that erupt into the mouth, and the stated age of the individual and it was scientifically proven that the person is a minor.

After that a report was issued by him.

He identified the report in court, and the prosecution applied to tender it as an exhibit, and it was tendered in evidence and marked as an exhibit without any objection from the defence.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel from the legal aid agency, the witness said he joined the EFSTH in 27 June 2006.

He said for an experienced practitioner, the examination would take about 10 minutes.

Asked about how the age examination was conducted, he said that looking into her mouth he found that all temporary teeth have gone from the mouth, and every other tooth has appeared except the third molar.

The witness said the third molar appears from 17 years and then completes its eruption at 18 years.

He also said from the examination he conducted on the survivor, the third molar had not appeared and there was no sign of it at all.

The examination did not reveal the exact date when the survivor was born, considering the development and variations of individuals and their feeding habits; hence the eruption of teeth could be retarded; so the date of birth was about six months plus or minus.

He said the report was absolute, and it was scientifically conclusive.

The examination was based on an approximation, which was why the six-month margin of error was maintained.

The case continues on 2 July 2015, at 11 p.m.