I Will Marry Her! Man, 50, Pleads After Raping Autistic Girl
A 50-year-old carpenter and father of three, Tunde Ogunlade, who allegedly took advantage of an autistic girl by raping her in Akure, Ondo State capital, says he is prepared to marry his alleged victim if her parents insist.
The victim was said to be a virgin before she was allegedly enticed with N50 by the suspect.
The parents of the victim and journalists who were present at the state police command headquarters when the suspect was paraded were moved to tears.
Ogunlade, who blamed his alleged act on the devil, said he would marry the girl if the parents insisted.
According to him, he would not be happy if someone does same to his daughter.
Ondo State Police Command spokesperson, Femi Joseph, narrated that the suspect went to the neighbourhood for a carpentry work and lured the girl to a bathroom where he allegedly raped her.
Joseph said that the incident happened on Monday at about 11:30am at No. J3X Newtown, Oke-Aro, Akure.
According to him, the victim’s mother (Ogunbiyi Oluranti) lodged a complaint that her daughter, an autistic child, was raped in the bathroom of a house opposite her house.
The victim, according to findings, usually stayed with an 80-year-old woman who owns the house opposite her mother’s residence.
The guardian was said to have gone out on ill fated day as the suspect allegedly took advantage of her condition in the old woman’s bathroom.
A source said the child raised the alarm and cried bitterly as the suspect grabbed her but he reportedly closed her mouth with his hands.
The source said the victim bled profusely and, to cover his tracks, the suspect helped her to clean up with water and washed the blood stained floor.
The victim was said to have cried her hearts out and when her mother returned and asked her what happened, she could not explain herself. It was learnt that she gave a sign that somebody who came to do carpentry work raped her and pointed to her blood stained underwear. The mother reportedly raised the alarm and the matter was reported at the nearest police station.
The police, according to findings, later conducted an identification parade and the victim was able to identify the suspect who later confessed to the crime.
In an interview, the suspect described the incident as the handiwork of the devil, noting that he could not explain how it happened.
“I was working in the house when I saw the girl and I touched her and she hugged me before I put my finger into her private part”, Ogunlade said.
“I did not sleep with her but I fingered her. It was when she was going that I noticed that she was stained with blood and I followed her to the bathroom to clean her up
“I don’t know what came over me because I was never involved in such act before and, as a father, I will not be happy to see my daughter being treated like this but I will take responsibility if the parents insist I must marry her.”
Police spokesperson Joseph said the suspect would be charged to court. He described Ogunlade as a shameful man who took advantage of a challenged adolescent girl.
