A Quranic teacher, Muhammed Jassey, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for raping his 13-year-old student, a boy entrusted to his Daara.
Magistrate I Jallow of the Brusubi Court, in passing sentence yesterday, said the gravity of the offence cannot be overlooked.
Evidence before the court revealed the victim, 13, whose parents are divorced, was sent with his brother to live and learn at Jassey’s Daara. He was raped by his Oustass, corroborated by medical evidence showing penetration into the anus with bruises.
Magistrate Jallow said there was a significant degree of planning as the convict chose days when the victim was not cleaning with his group and struck in early morning hours to avoid being seen.
“He has made a lot of effort to conceal his offence, framing it to look like the victim is only running away from the Daara because he does not want to learn,” she said.
The court found that Jassey had abused his trust as a teacher.
“He raped the boy under coercive circumstances and threatened to beat him if he reported it. He also called the victim’s grandfather, gave the boy the phone and forced him to say the rape allegation was untrue, threatening to beat him if he refused.”
Magistrate Jallow added that the victim endured severe harm and ran away three times from the Daara, but none of his family believed him.
“He was taken back each time and had his hair shaved in the presence of other students, causing serious psychological effects. It was only on the fourth escape and after medical examination that his account was believed.” She said Gambian society is not ready to see its children sexually abused regardless of gender and be covered up in the name of fear of memorising the Quran.
“The level of culpability of the convict is very high and his level of harm on the victim is great,” she ruled.
Jassey was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and ordered to pay D400,000 compensation to the victim, in default to serve 4 months.
The Department of Social Welfare was ordered to provide psychosocial support to the victim given his young age.
