Gambiaj.com – (KANIFING, The Gambia) – A High Court in Kanifing Municipality has sentenced Momodou Yerro Baldeh to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of raping a child aged six or seven.
The conviction relates to an incident that occurred on 10 October 2023 at London Corner, where the court heard that the accused inserted his fingers into the child’s private parts under coercive circumstances.
Delivering judgment on 23 February 2026, Justice Jaiteh ruled that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, relying on the child’s testimony, corroborating family accounts, and medical evidence.
The court heard emotional testimony from the victim, who told the court that the accused pulled her, promised her five dalasis, and assaulted her before warning her not to tell anyone. She later disclosed the incident to her grandmother.
The grandmother testified that she became alarmed after discovering blood on the child’s undergarments while bathing her.
The child identified the accused as responsible. The victim’s mother also told the court that the child had reported the incident and recalled earlier occasions when the accused held the child’s hand and referred to her as his wife.
The victim’s older sister further testified that she saw the accused send the child on an errand before the child entered his room, where the door was locked, and later emerged with money.
Medical evidence presented by a doctor at Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital confirmed bloodstains, redness, and partial disruption of the hymenal ring consistent with blunt trauma. The injury was classified as severe.
In his defense, Baldeh denied the allegations, claiming he had no inappropriate contact with the child and suggesting the accusations stemmed from a dispute and malice.
He also called character witnesses, but none provided evidence contradicting the prosecution’s account or confirming his whereabouts at the time.
In his judgment, Justice Jaiteh acknowledged minor inconsistencies in the child’s testimony but said these did not undermine its credibility.
“When read holistically, the evidence in this case satisfies the rigorous criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” the judge said.
The court held that the child’s age made consent legally impossible and that the act constituted rape under the Sexual Offences Act, 2013.
In mitigation, defense counsel urged the court to consider the convict’s status as a first-time offender, his family responsibilities in Senegal, and his remorse. However, the judge ruled that these factors carried little weight given the seriousness of the offense, the victim’s young age, and the breach of trust involved.
Under the law, rape of a child under thirteen carries a mandatory life sentence.
Sentencing him accordingly, Justice Jaiteh said the punishment reflected the gravity of the crime and the need to protect children.
“The protection of minors is a paramount societal and constitutional imperative,” he said.
“The Court wishes to send a clear, firm, and unequivocal message that the sexual exploitation of children is among the most heinous crimes known to law and will attract the sternest punishment available under Gambian law… Justice for children must be firm, uncompromising, and swift.”
