The criminal chamber of the Thiès High Court has delivered its verdict in the attempted murder case of 8-year-old ML Aïdara. The defendant, A. Diallo, a shoeshine boy, was found guilty and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment.

The events date back to April 2022, in the Darou Salam district of Thiès. According to the indictment, the man had led the child to an unfinished building before attempting to slit his throat.

In court on January 26, 2026, the accused categorically denied the charges. He claimed to have been found sitting in a building under construction, intoxicated, maintaining that he did not know the victim and that he was seeing her for the first time at the courthouse.

For his part, the young ML Aïdara had formally identified A. Diallo as his attacker. The child explained that the defendant had approached him under the pretext of giving him directions to a woman's home, before leading him to an unfinished building. He stated that he had been stabbed in the arm, thrown to the ground, and then attacked in the throat with a bread knife. According to him, it was his screams that alerted the neighbors and forced the attacker to flee.

In his closing argument, the public prosecutor stated that the facts were established. He noted that the victim had not only identified his attacker but also provided a detailed description of the clothing he was wearing, which was found in his room during the investigation. The prosecution therefore requested a sentence of 10 years' imprisonment.

After deliberation, the court found A. Diallo guilty of attempted murder and sentenced him to 8 years in prison.