By: Isatou Sarr
A 17-year-old girl (name withheld) took the stand on Thursday, September 18th, 2025, to continue her testimonial evidence in the rape case against Dawda Tamba at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court. Tamba has pleaded not guilty to the charge during his previous appearance. The case was adjourned for the continuation of the victim’s testimony.
According to court documents, on or about July 5, 2025, at an uncompleted building in Brikama, West Coast Region, Dawda Tamba allegedly engaged a 17-year-old girl in a sexual act under coercive circumstances.
The victim continued testifying in the Mandinka language and said he (the accused) never returned the mobile phone he collected from her, and when she went back to both the scene at the school and the house, she never saw him. “When I called him, he never picked up the phone; he later switched off the phone. I went home with my body stained with blood. I explained the matter to my mother, and the following day, we went to the Brikama police station and reported the matter.”
She continued that she was taken to the hospital, and at the lab, where she was examined with her private part checked, and the nurse confirmed not seeing anything.
She explained further, saying on the following day, she met the accused at Manduar car park garage, “I recognised him. I asked him where my mobile phone was. He replied to me ‘Let’s go to our compound, and I refused to go with him.”
The victim said she saw a boy called Sulayman Jarju, who knows her, and he asked what the matter was. After her explanation, the boy requested to be accompanied to the police station, but the accused refused and suggested they should go to his house.
However, she explained to the police and was accompanied to the spot where she was raped by the accused while noting that she could not get back her phone, a Mark iPhone X white colour valued at D10,000.00. She described the colour of her clothes that she wore that day and said she threw them away “because I did not know they would be used as evidence,” in court.
At the hospital, after a thorough examination, she said they gave her documents, which she handed over to a police officer called Sabally at Brikama Police Station, while some medications were prescribed for her.
However, the accused was given the chance to cross-examine the victim, to which the victim answered his questions.
The alleged victim(PW1) was asked by the court if she could locate the compound accused of being bought by a white lady, and PW1 said that she can and the matter was adjourned to the 3rd of October 2025.
