Mr Mamadou Jallow Bah, a Guinean national, was yesterday convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by Principal Magistrate Moses Richard of the Kanifing Magistrates, after being found guilty of having forcefully had carnal knowledge of a girl of 11 years.

Mr. Bah was also convicted on another count for abducting the same girl for three days.

According to facts adduced by Sergeant 489 Jahateh, the accused invited the victim (name withheld) to his house at Dippa Kunda, only to force himself on her, refusing to let go of her for three days during which he continued to have intercourse with her.

Following the girl’s disappearance, continued Sergeant Jahateh, the parents mounted a search, which culminated in the discovery of her in the accused’s house.

The matter was reported to Serekunda police before she was taken to hospital for medical check-up.
In his ruling the presiding magistrate stated that offences of this nature were becoming rampant, noting that despite the fact that the institutions responsible for the protection of the girl child have been sensitising the public on such issues both to educate and protect children from what he referred to as this awful menace the practice continues to show its face from time to time.

Magistrate Richards described the offence as despicable, saying that it was high time it was nipped in the bud. He stated that men’s sexual urge should be directed at grown-up girls and not children whose age renders them vulnerable.