Mute indicted for alleged rape

State prosecutors have indicted one Foday Goddard, a mute, on a charge of rape and arraigned him before Justice Moses Richards of the Special Criminal Court of the High Court in Banjul.

The accused, Foday Goddard, was alleged to have raped an under-aged girl on 14th June 2009, at Abuko village in the Kanifing Municipality.

Testifying before the court, the first prosecution witness, Corporal Seedy Saidykhan, a police officer attached to the Child Welfare Unit of the Gambia Police Force, said a case file for rape was referred to their office, together with the accused person from Bundung Police Station.

He said he was instructed by the officer commanding the Child Welfare Unit, ASP Yamundow Jagne-Joof, to obtain voluntary and cautionary statements from the accused person.

Still testifying, Cpl Saidykhan further said that the charge was read to the accused with the help of a sign language interpreter, and that the accused person denied the charge, in the presence of an independent witness, one Alansana Jallow.

The statements were later tendered in court as exhibits without any objection from the defence.

The witness proceeded to further testify that the victim was taken to the RVTH in Banjul for medical examination, which was conducted by Dr. Tamsir Mbowe, and a medical report was issued to that effect.

The medical report was also tendered in court as an exhibit without any objection from the defence.

Hearing continues.