Magistrate Peter Che has sentenced a 15-year-old boy to a mandatory jail term of ten years for raping a six-year-old girl in Gunjur.
Speaking to police investigators, the accused explained that he was a neighbour of the victim. He said on 14th April, the mother of the victim, dropped her off in their compound as she was going out.
He said he coaxed the little girl to sit on his laps and he whipped out his manhood and pressed it into her vagina and once he satiated, asked her to leave.
On 16th April, the little girl complained to her mother of pain while urinating. Upon checking her, the mother saw bruises around her genitalia. Upon questioning, the little girl informed her mother that on 14th April while she was playing outside, the accused grabbed her, dragged her into his bedroom and forced his penis into her and when she screamed from the pain, he let her go.
The mother took her to the local health centre where she was referred to the police, lodged a formal complaint and the accused was arrested, interrogated, owned up to his crime and was charged with rape.
During the trial, the confessional statement was read to the accused and he pleaded guilty to the charge of raping the girl.
In handing over the sentence, Magistrate Che noted that child sexual abuse is becoming commonplace in The Gambia.
He condemned the incident as “a barbaric act” and said the sentence “will send a strong signal to other potential minors who contemplate committing such heinous acts”.
A Jaiteh represented the IGP while VC Okorafor from National Agency for Legal Aid represented the accused.
