Mr. M. Samb appeared before the criminal chamber of the Thiès High Court on Wednesday, May 13. Divorced, he is being prosecuted for rape, pedophilia, and abduction of a minor under the age of 13. He is accused of having had sexual relations with N. Thiam, an 8-year-old girl at the time of the alleged offenses, which took place in June 2024 in the commune of Pékesse.

According to the victim's mother, her daughter was not home that day. When she went to look for her at Mr. Samb's house, a place she frequented regularly, she noticed that the child was not with her usual friends. A few minutes after returning home, N. Thiam came back behaving unusually. Pressed with questions, the girl eventually confided that Mr. Samb had taken her to a room and abused her. Faced with these accusations, the man categorically denied the allegations and, to clear his name, filed a defamation lawsuit against the victim's mother.

However, this approach backfired: the investigations led the police to open a rape inquiry. A medical examination subsequently revealed a previous loss of the hymen, resulting in Mr. Samb's arrest and detention.

During the hearing, the defendant reiterated his denials, claiming that the accusations were fabricated by the girl's mother due to a personal dispute. Conversely, the victim maintained her precise account: "I had gone to play with the children at his house. When I arrived, he called me over and led me into the bedroom. He undressed me and told me not to scream, or he would kill me. He then took out his penis and began caressing my breasts before penetrating me. It hurt. He then wiped the blood with a piece of his penis before letting me leave." She also added that the defendant had tried to repeat the act a second time but was dissuaded by the presence of his mother.

The civil party's lawyer, Mr. Sy, argued that the sexual assaults were corroborated by the medical certificate and the victim's formal identification of the perpetrator. The public prosecutor, finding the defendant guilty of rape, pedophilia, and abduction of a minor, requested a 10-year prison sentence. The defense, represented by Mr. Kane and Mr. Ayi, argued that there was a lack of irrefutable evidence.

According to the defendant's lawyers, the past loss of the hymen is insufficient to constitute rape, and they requested an acquittal based on reasonable doubt. The case was adjourned for deliberation until June 9, 2026.