By Amadou Jadama
Principal Magistrate Anna Mendy of Brikama on Thursday sentenced one Sulayman Sanneh, a mason from Babylon Village, to a mandatory jailed term of two years after finding him guilty of an indecent assault on a woman (name withheld).
The magistrate further ordered Sulayman to pay a D100,000 compensation to the victim in default to serve two months in prison.
According to court records, on 22nd December, 2024 Sulayman attacked the lady and forcibly stripped off her clothes and tried to rape her. But she gallantly fought back and Sulayman could not penetrate her. In the end he ejaculated on top of her and then released her.
Before passing sentence Magistrate Mendy noted: “The effect of rape or indecent assault on women and girls in our communities is a growing concern as many men, most especially, youths, engage in such unlawful and immoral act of thereby forcing or deceiving their victims into unwanted sexual intercourse with them. In this instant case, the convict forcefully stripped the victim in an attempt to have sexual intercourse with her but due to the victim’s denial, the convict couldn’t penetrate her female organs but ended up placing his male organs on her female organs until he ejaculated on top of her and then released her. What would have happened if the convicted succeeded in penetrating the victim?”
During the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses and tendered the voluntary and cautionary statements of the accused person as exhibits.
Sulayaman did not call any witness or tendered an exhibit in his defence.
Magistrate Mendy said the prosecution discharged its legal burden to the required standards set under Section 144 of the Evidence Act, 1994 and as a result, Sulayman Sanneh was accordingly convicted as charged.
In his plea of mitigation, he begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
In response, Magistrate Mendy noted that she had watched the demeanour of Sulayman and listened to his plea, stating: “Though the convict is not remorseful, he is very young and the prosecution has indicated that he has no previous conviction before any of the courts within The Gambia and I am therefore mindful to exercise mercy given the circumstances.”
Therefore, there is need to eliminate such unlawful, immoral, and unacceptable behaviours or attitudes.
She said mindful of the rise in the number of sexual offence cases involving women and girls in the country, she could not impose a light sentence.
