On Friday, the High Court of the Dakar suburb of Pikine-Guédiawaye sentenced a young man to six years in prison, accompanied by a fine of two million CFA francs [about US $3,570], for public indecency and committing “unnatural acts”.
This marks the first judicial ruling handed down since the enactment of the law tightening the penalties for such offences in Senegal.
According to reports by Seneweb, the convicted man identified as Mbaye Diouf was remanded in custody on the orders of the Public Prosecutor, Saliou Dicko.
The events date back to the late afternoon of 2 April 2, in a garden near the National Arena. A witness said he came across two individuals behaving suspiciously “in a compromising scene” in tall grass.
The witness filmed the encounter before approaching the couple.
One of the men fled the scene, while Diouf, unable to run with his trousers around his knees, was apprehended on the spot. He was taken to the central police station in Guédiawaye.
The defendant, a 24-year-old labourer, admitted to the charges during his interrogation. He stated that he had agreed to the sexual encounter in exchange for 2,000 CFA francs [about U$3.57].
According to his statements, the transaction had not yet been finalised at the time of their arrest. He also claimed to have been unaware that the act was illegal, while simultaneously pleading with the court for leniency.
After spending 48 hours in police custody, he was brought before the public prosecutor’s office on 7th April. The search continues for his alleged partner, who remains at large. Diouf’s conviction on 10th April marked the first judicial application of the new law increasing the penalties for same-sex intimacy in Senegal.
76crimes.com
