By Dawda M Jallow
Ansumana Ceesay, an elementary school teacher who was found guilty of a rape offence, has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Banjul High Court presided over by Justice ZN Mboob. The two raped students are aged 12 and 13 in their 3rd grade, attending private tutoring sessions in Brufut, West Coast Region.
The presiding Justice Z.N. Mboob of the High Court found Ansumana Ceesay, the accused, guilty on two counts of rape under the Sexual Offences Act 2013, concluding that prosecutors had proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to the defense prosecution officer, the incident occurred in 2017 at Mr. Ceesay’s home in Brufut, in the West Coast Region of Gambia.
The accused, who was teaching at Abba Bilingual School, lured the two girls to his residence after school under the pretense of having them deliver mangoes. He instructed them to wait while he attended Friday prayers, explained by the prosecution officer.
He continued that upon his return from Jummah prayers, the convict forced the girls into his room and threatened to ensure they failed their examinations if they did not comply with his demands. The girls, fearful for their academic futures, complied, and he sexually assaulted them sequentially.
The crimes remained hidden for a year until 2018, when one victim disclosed the abuse to school authorities. When confronted, the (convict) Ceesay who wrote an apology letter acknowledging his actions, according to court records.
Prosecutors presented testimony from eight witnesses and multiple exhibits, including medical reports documenting physical examinations of both victims and the alleged apology letter addressed to the school principal.
During the testimonies, the school’s headmistress testified that she recognized Ceesay’s handwriting in the apology letter. School officials said that when initially confronted, the accused admitted to the conduct and sought forgiveness, describing his actions as “Satan’s work.”
He, however, pleaded not guilty. His wife and a family member testified that they never saw the victims at the house or heard any disturbances that day. The defense argued that the accused wrote the apology letter only after being promised he would not be fired or reported to police, and he denied that his thumbprint appeared on a voluntary police statement.
Justice Mboob ordered a forensic analysis of the thumbprint. Amie Nyassi, a fingerprint expert with the Gambia Police Force, testified that her examination confirmed the prints on the statement matched those of Ansumana Ceesay, the accused.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Mboob described the convict, Ansumana Ceesay, as someone who exploited his position of authority to target vulnerable students under his care. She further noted that the relationship between teacher and student was an aggravating factor, emphasizing that the crimes violated the “bodily integrity, dignity, and psychological well-being” of the victims.
“Rape is a serious and reprehensible offence,” Justice Mboob said in her written judgement. “The Court is under a duty to impose a sentence that reflects the seriousness of the offence, serves as a deterrent, and affirms societal condemnation of such conduct.”
While prosecutors emphasized the irreversible harm to the victims, defense attorneys cited mitigating factors, including Mr. Ceesay’s lack of prior criminal history and his role as a father to young children.
Justice Mboob imposed 10-year sentences on each count, to run concurrently, under the Criminal Offences Act 2025. She noted that the sentence was reduced from the maximum permitted under the law, taking into account Mr. Ceesay’s clean criminal record.
Beyond the prison term, Justice Mboob permanently banned Ansumana Ceesay from teaching or working with children under the age of 16 upon his release. She also ordered the Ministry of Justice to arrange comprehensive counseling services for the victims to address the long-term psychological effects of the assaults.
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