By Louise Jobe
A man has been sentenced to six years in prison for raping a 16-year-old girl after using physical force against her. Ebrima Bah pleaded guilty to one count of rape, contrary to section 3(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2013. He was sentenced on Tuesday, 20 October 2026 by the Brikama Magistrate’s Court.
The court also ordered him to pay D150,000 in compensation to the victim. If he fails to pay, he will serve an additional two years in prison, according to the sentence delivered by the magistrate.
In outlining the circumstances of the offence, the court heard that the incident took place at night on 4 October 2026 at an incomplete building where the girl had been with her boyfriend.
The accused, who was nearby, called a relative to the scene after seeing the pair together. The boyfriend ran away, leaving the girl behind. The court heard that the man then took out his mobile phone and said he wanted to take pictures of the girl. He threatened to expose her to his colleagues, whom he described as police officers.
He later told his relative that he intended to discipline the girl. After the relative left, the man forced her to the ground and raped her, the court heard. The girl experienced pain during the assault and was unable to defend herself. After the incident, she noticed bloodstains and a white substance on her body, according to the account presented in court.
She was afraid to tell her parents when she returned home. The following morning, she confided in an aunt, who works as a pharmacy technician, and described the pain she was experiencing. The matter was subsequently reported to the girl’s mother and the police. The victim underwent a medical examination as part of the investigation.
A crime scene officer visited the location and took photographs. The prosecution sought to tender the photographs, the medical report and the girl’s birth certificate as evidence.
In delivering the sentence, the magistrate said the court had considered the man’s guilty plea and his plea in mitigation. The convict told the court that he suffered from asthma and that his wife was in hospital following a miscarriage. The magistrate acknowledged these personal circumstances but said they had to be weighed against the seriousness of the offence, the circumstances in which it was committed, the victim’s age and vulnerability, and the need to protect the public from sexual violence.
“The circumstances of the offence [are] particularly serious,” the magistrate said, referring to the use of physical force against the girl.
The court stressed the importance of protecting members of the public from sexual violence before imposing the six-year custodial sentence.
The man was ordered to serve his prison term at Mile 2 central prison.