Binta Jatta, 32, was on Tuesday, 8 July 2008, convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour, for infanticide.

According to the particulars of her offence, read by Senior Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Bundung Magistrates’ Court, the accused, on 15 May 2008, at Fajikunda in the KMC, unlawfully  dumped her newly born baby girl into a pit latrine, thereby causing the death of the baby.

After the charge sheet was read and translated to her in the language she understood, Binta Jatta, who had cried in the court during her first appearance before Senior Magistrate Kumba, last week, pleaded guilty to the offence.

Narrating the story before the court, the prosecution, Corporal 134 Sambou, said that one Essa Danso, the landlord of the accused person, had reported at the police station that a lady-tenant in his compound who was sometime pregnant was no more seen with the pregnancy. Danso disclosed this on the 17 of May, 2008.

He further informed the court that on enquiry from Binta Jatta about her pregnancy, she told him (the landlord) that she had delivered two days back, at the Fajikunda Health Center, alleging however that it was unfortunate that the child had not survived.

The unconvinced Danso continued on his private investigation, going straight to the Fajikunda Health Center where the can of worms was opened to him. He said that the nurse on duty had carefully informed him that they were not aware and had no such name on their register.

Immediately after that confirmation, Danso switched on to Wellingara Police Station where he reported his findings to the police who later arrested the accused and handed her over to the CID for interrogation.

She later confessed to the CID officers that she had truly given birth to a baby girl, but that she had thrown her baby  into a pit latrine in a nearby compound. When she accompanied police to the said compound, nothing was found. But on further investigation, she finally opened to the police that she had wrapped the baby and pushed her inside a metal pipe.

According to Corporal Sambou, the police invited the fire service personnel who proceeded to the spot she had identified. He said that they broke the mental pipe in the pit latrine and pulled out the deceased baby girl in the presence of the accused and the CID. The deceased’s baby was taken to the Health Centre where the corpse was sent to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital for post mortem.

Prior to her ruling, Senior Magistrate Kumba asked the accused, Binta Jatta, if all the prosecution had said were true. She confirmed it and said "it is true."  At this juncture the Magistrate said since she had accepted been guilty and that everything said was the truth, she was therefore found guilty of the offence. She was then convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour, without a fine.