Dear Editor,
I want to tell Magistrate Peter Che of the Basse Magistrates’ Court that the whole country with the exception of perverts, degenerates and evil people, celebrate this ruling.
It is a landmark ruling because online sexual abuse for which Jarra was charged and subsequently sentenced, is becoming a big problem in this country now.
I hope, this sentence will serve as a deterrent to all those who secretly film people or surreptitiously steal intimate films and pictures of other people and blackmail and threaten them for monetary and other gains.
A few years ago, one of top slay queens in The Gambia had compromising film and photos of one of the richest people in The Gambia and used it to fleece him of millions of dalasis.
The same slay queen attempted the same tactic on a rich Senegalese businessman and today she is facing the consequences of her action.
Some of these young ladies think such acts are their quick passport to getting wealth. By engaging in such acts and getting away with it, they send the wrong message to their friends and other impressionable young girls. The result is our society is being destroyed because when you destroy the young girls who are going to be the homemakers and the carers of the young ones, you destroy the foundation of the society and the country.
Therefore, I say kudos to Magistrate Peter Che, the Chief Justice Alhaji Hassan B Jallow and the entire bench of The Gambia for a timely and deserved sentence.
Malick B Faal
Fajara
Dear Editor
This is a very serious and troubling case that highlights the importance of respecting privacy and consent. It is good to see that justice has been served. Awa Sumareh demonstrated a lot of courage throughout this process. Sharing someone’s intimate photos without their consent is a violation of their dignity and privacy, and it is important for the legal system to take a strong stance against such actions. I hope this case will also raise awareness about the dangers of sharing personal information and encourage others to be more mindful of their online behaviour.
Mbye Ibrahim
Serekunda
Dear Editor,
Indeed, this is a significant step toward justice and protecting the privacy of individuals. The non-consensual sharing of intimate images is a serious violation of personal dignity and can have devastating consequences for victims. Legal actions like this send a strong message that such behaviour will not be tolerated. It is important for victims to feel empowered to seek justice, and for society to support and uphold laws that protect privacy and personal rights.
Musa Njie
Banjul
Dear Editor,
What Jarra did was very bad but some women do not deserve respect because they do not respect themselves. How can a married woman be on phone conversation with another man who is not her husband up to the level of sending images of your private parts to him? How can a Muslim woman open a camera and start recording herself naked, saved it in her phone? Let us advise each other. This is too much. Let women who are doing it behave themselves.
Tawwila Fatty
Tripoli
Dear Editor,
What the man did is an act of indecency and rightfully, he attracted the jail term. Sending him to prison is moral and just and a war against bad human character. A religious person, particularly a Muslim, should never ever share such a nasty things. Women, fear your Creator. Never allow worldly materials to implicate you in pornography. A man who loves you for real will never ask for such a thing. Only extremely foolish men will demand seeing your private part even they are your husbands. Any man who demands such must be one of the most foolish husbands on the face of the earth.
Bakary Camara
Banjul
Dear Editor,
Justice has been served but let’s question ourselves in all sincerity. If the guy belongs to the bourgeois class or rich folks do you think he will be sentenced as such? We live in a society similar to the one George Orwell depicted in Animal Farm. The weak are more vulnerable and don’t enjoy the same treatment when it comes to power.
People have committed crimes related to drug which is more severe than this and they are walking free on the streets. I admit, online sexual abuse is repugnant but this act by Magistrate Peter Che doesn’t require an applause because the Gambian judiciary has too many flaws. The rule of law, equality, impartiality and respect for fundamental human rights is questionable here. Think about it.
Abdul Latif Badjie
Bwiam
Dear Editor,
I hope that the same sentence will apply to some of our Gambian brothers and sisters doing the same thing when they are taken before the court. This immoral practice is rampant all over the place. The aim of sharing someone’s naked pictures, whatever your reason, can cause physchological problems for the rest of the victim’s life. It can even lead to suicide.
Gilbert Jassey
Kartong
