By Arret Jatta
The Banjul High Court presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh yesterday sentenced 64-year-old Mamadou Yero Baldé to life imprisonment for raping a seven-year-old girl.
During the trial, the little girl testified that Baldé pulled her into his room, promised her five dalasis and inserted his finger into her private part. The court heard evidence from the victim’s grandmother, mother, and a medical doctor and two other witnesses, who corroborated her account.
For their part, the defence called two witnesses.
At the end of the hearings, Justice Jaiteh dismissed the defence’s claims of fabrication and lack of evidence, citing the victim’s consistent testimony and the medical evidence.
In his pre-sentencing plea for mitigation, Baldé’s lawyer described his client as a 64-year-old foreigner with a family of three wives, nine children and grandchildren, who had no previous conviction.
Delivering judgement, Justice Jaiteh rebuffed that these factors carried little weight in a case involving the sexual violation of a child.
“The accused intentionally engaged in a sexual act under coercive circumstances, as the victim was under the age of 13. The court finds the accused guilty of rape and sentences him to life imprisonment. The convict’s remorse cannot undo the irreversible trauma inflicted upon the child victim. The court wishes to send a clear, firm, and unequivocal message that sexual exploitation of children is among the most heinous crimes known to law and may attract the sturdiest punishment available in law. The protection of minors is a paramount societal and constitutional imperative. No offender, regardless of age, nationality, or status, should expect leniency when found guilty of such offences. The court calls on parents, guardians, and the public to remain vigilant in safeguarding children, to educate children on personal safety and boundaries, and to encourage timely reporting of abuse,” Justice Jaiteh stated.
Baldé, a Senegalese, spent less than three months in The Gambia before his arrest and arraignment.
