The Criminal Chamber of the Kolda High Court sentenced B Souané, 20, and D Kandé, 26, to ten years’ imprisonment for the gang rape of a 12-year-old girl. Found guilty of gang rape, paedophilia, and impersonating a public official, the two defendants will also have to jointly pay 500,000 FCFA in damages to the victim.
The events date back to the night of 1st and 2nd June, 2024, on the sidelines of a religious ceremony in the Bouna Kane neighbourhood. To lure the child, the two assailants posed as police officers conducting an identity check. They then led her to a secluded basketball court where they sexually assaulted her in turns before abandoning her there.
Given the exceptional gravity of the acts and the cynicism of the scheme, the prosecutor initially requested a sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment.
In court, the two defendants ultimately chose to confess, recanting the denials they had maintained during the preliminary investigation and before the investigating judge. The court upheld all charges, including indecent assault and complicity, and handed down a final sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, L’Observateur reported.
