Police officer gets 16 years for sexual abuse, rape of niece

January 9^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) A court in Liberia handed down a 16-year prison sentence yesterday to a police officer identified by the last names of Tenorio Pastrana, after being convicted of the sexual abuse and rape of a niece.

In the indictment, prosecutors said the crimes were committed between 2005, when the girl was 8 years old, and 2011.  At the time, the victim lived in the IMAS neighborhood in Liberia.

The judges, in sentencing, found Tenorio was responsible for two counts of sexual abuse and one of rape.

Experts called on by the judges found that the testimony of the child to be completely credible, saying there was no reason to believe the child’s testimony was invented, as was claimed by the police officer’s defense team.

The court has extended Tenorio’s preventive detention by 6 months while waiting for the judgment to become final.