A light sentence
SIR: I read with consternation the story carried on the back page of The Guardian of Monday November 22, 2004 captioned "Court jails woman for human trafficking."
While appreciative of the fact that the court meted out punishment to a person who rightly deserved it, the lightness of the sentence imposed makes a mockery of the whole anti-human trafficking campaign and indeed of the judicial system. Of course, a judge is not obliged to impose the maximum sentence prescribed by the law for an offence, but the court must also bear in mind the importance of the deterrence factor in sentencing.
For such a grievous offence I am of the opinion that the court erred in imposing such a light sentence. The convict obviously thought so too. She was reported to have been full of smiles and kneeling to thank God when she heard her sentence " three years in prison for attempting to ruin the lives of six innocent girls, not to talk of further rubbishing the image of the country already struggling to keep its head up in the comity of nations.
The court was of the opinion that Mrs. Okoye deserved such a light sentence because she is a first offender. But did the court consider what impact the sentence would have in ensuring that she is a 'last offender?'
Let the judiciary be a partner in the campaign against trafficking in persons, otherwise traffickers will go on with business as usual, believing they will get away with nothing more than a tap on the hands if caught.
Biola Okpechi (Mrs),
Justice Development and Peace Commission,
Ibadan, Oyo State
