Guinean National Convicted for defiling a 13-year-old girl

Muhammed Bah, a Guinean national, was on 28th October, 2008 convicted and sentenced to a prison term of 18 months with hard labour for defiling a 13-year-old girl, who, as a result, got pregnant.

Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbackeh of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court presided over the case.

He ordered the accused person to give the girl a compensation of D15, 000 in default to serve another 18 months' imprisonment. Magistrate Mbackeh told the court that if the accused failed to pay the fine and the compensation, then both sentences would run con-currently.

In his plea of mitigation, the accused told the court that he regretted what he had done and that the action was due to circumstances beyond his control. He begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

But Magistrate Mbackeh said the accused should be punished to serve as a deterrent. He ordered that the accused be deported after serving his sentence.