Testifying as defence witness, Ndey Bojang from Tallinding told the judge that the man accused of rape is her uncle and they used to live together until his arrest in 2012. She said she used to live with the girl who alleged that she was raped by his uncle in the same room until when she discovered that she was pregnant. She said the accused is a married man who lives in a single room with his five children.
It is alleged that the suspect (name withheld) unlawfully had carnal knowledge of the victim (name withheld) when she was 13 without her consent in 2012. He has however pleaded “not guilty” to this charge. According to him, the victim is a granddaughter to his wife and that he never had sex with the victim.
According to the witness, she was the one who told the girl’s mother that her daughter was pregnant before allegation of rape was made against the accused person. “I told her to take her to the hospital to be examined where it was confirmed that she was three months pregnant at the time. Her mother told me that she was informed at the hospital that her daughter would not be able to give birth at her age and the pregnancy should be terminated,” she said.
She said when the girl was asked who got her pregnant; she told her it was one ‘oustass’ (Arabic teacher). She said she went to the ‘oustass’ with the girl’s mother whom she said accepted being responsible for the pregnancy.
When asked by his counsel, Edrisa Sissohor, what happened after the ‘oustass’ admitted that he got her pregnant, she said: “After some time the police came to our compound and asked for the oustass. I told them I knew him from the market when the girl took us there. I told them according to the girl, the ‘oustass’ always took her to the market and have sex with her. Later they came and took her grandfather (accused person).”
When asked about the whereabouts of the ‘oustass’, she said, “he has run away.”
At this point, the case was adjourned to January 27 for cross-examination.
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