The Resident Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Gedeh County, George S. Wiles, on Thursday, July 4, 2024, sentenced a 38-year-old man to 75-year imprisonment for gang rape, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. Mark Dangar, along with Alloysious and others to be identified were indicted on August 28, 2023, during the August term of court and charged with the commission of the crimes: murder, kidnapping, gang rape, and criminal conspiracy. According to the indictment, the incident occurred between August 9-11, 2023, in Battergen Gold Camp, Grand Gedeh County, where defendant Mark and his accomplices raped 12-year-old Gracious Yormie which led to her demise. During a pretrial conference, the state requested a separate and severance trial for defendant Dangar, who is the only defendant, brought under the jurisdiction of the court. The prosecution informed the court that the other defendants are on the run. When Dangar was arraigned before the court during the trial, he pleaded “Not Guilty” thereby putting the onus probandi (the obligation to prove an allegation) on the state, to prove its case. The testimonies of the six witnesses produced by the state corroborated and affirmed the commission of the crimes by the defendant. The defense produced only defendant Dangar who testified on his own behalf. After careful deliberations, the trial jury rendered a unanimous guilty verdict against Mark Dangar. Judge Wiles, on July 4, A.D 2024 confirmed and affirmed the unanimous guilty verdict against defendant Dangar, and thereby sentenced him to a 75-year imprisonment beginning July 4, 2024. According to the Judge, the ruling will serve as a deterrent to would be perpetrators. The family of little Gracious Yormie represented by her mother expressed satisfaction over the court’s ruling even though they were saddened for the loss of their little angel. Several organizations including the Independent National Human Rights Commission, United Family for Reconstruction, women groups, family members, and the mass media turnout at the court to observe the process. Source: 𝑵𝑨