A Cyprus High Criminal Court sitting in Nicosia has sentenced a Nigerian student, Obasi Chimezirm Princewill, to 14 years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman and recording the act without her consent.
The court found the defendant guilty on all counts following a trial over the incident, which occurred between March 25 and the early hours of March 26, 2023, in the Hamitköy area of Nicosia.
According to court proceedings, the victim and the convict were acquaintances before the attack. Princewill was said to have unlawfully entered the woman’s dormitory room, overpowered her and assaulted her multiple times.
Testifying before the court, a police officer, Sgt. Mustafa Mahan, disclosed that authorities had previously received several rape allegations against the defendant. He added that Princewill allegedly attempted to induce some complainants with about ₦500,000 to withdraw their cases.
In its judgment, the three-member panel of judges described the offence as grave, noting that the convict abused his status as a foreign student.
“The defendant came to our country as a student. After becoming an illegal immigrant, he continued to reside here and committed such a serious crime,” the court held.
The judges stated that the 14-year sentence reflected stricter penalties introduced under recent amendments to Cyprus laws in response to rising cases of sexual offences.
The court also highlighted aggravating factors, including the recording of the assault without the victim’s consent, attempts to evade arrest, and the defendant’s lack of remorse throughout the trial.
Princewill is expected to serve the sentence in a Cyprus correctional facility.
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