By Amadou Jadama
Magistrate Peter Che of Brikama yesterday sentenced one Alagie Cisse, 30, a Senegalese, to a mandatory jailed term of 10 years. His conviction came after the court found him guilty on a single count of rape on December 30th,2019.
Delivering his judgement, Magistrate Che said the prosecution proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt. He explained: “I have watched the demeanour [of the accused] throughout the proceeding. He showed no remorse for his action. The law enjoins me under Section 4, Subsection 2 of the Sexual Offences Act to give him a maximum jail term of 15 years imprisonment.
“This is actually a good sentence contemplated by legislators to serve as a deterrent. However, I am moved by the convict person’s age, 30, which is the only mitigating factor I find. I could have given him a lesser sentence but looking at the callous manner in which the rape was committed has stiffened my heart.
“Further, his profession, being a taxi driver, has equally closed the mercy parts of my heart. A taxi driver holds a great responsibility to protect. Citizens in distress should run into a taxi for safety and not to be raped or killed. The events in the recent past have shown that the taxi industry should be under direct state surveillance. Taxis are no longer safe especially, towntrips.
“I shall still look inside of me to reduce the sentence mindful of his young age. This sentence l believe shall send a strong message to rapists that the law will never condone their evil machination.”
He accordingly sentenced Cisse to ten years imprisonment at Mile 2 Central Prison.
