Victim of Rape Says Her Tormentor was Filming Her While Engaging Her Sexually

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By Yankuba Jallow

A victim of rape and robbery on Wednesday, 22nd July 2020 testified before the Banjul High about her victimisation by one Ismaila Ndong, an alleged serial rapist.

Ndong is facing charges of rape, robbery and robbery with violence contrary to the laws of The Gambia and he has denied wrongdoing. He is accused of intentionally and under coercive circumstance engaged several women in sexual activities. He is also accused of taking properties from the women who he used to carry on town-trips. The properties that the accused person allegedly took included Samsung and iPhone mobiles, money and other valuables.

The victim whose name is withheld gave her testimony before Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga on Wednesday following her Tuesday’s incomplete testimony.

The witness testified that the accused person, Ismaila Ndong took her on a town-trip, but in turn engaged her in a sexual act against her will. She said Ndong was with a boy who he (Ndong) asked to remove her clothes, adding the boy unzipped her shirt and pushed it down. The sixth prosecution witness explained that after this, the boy began pressing her breasts while he was filming her actions.

She said the boy searched her body, looking for gold and silver necklaces.

“That was the time he took off my trouser and put his hands in my pussy. He began romancing me by putting one of his fingers inside my pussy (private part),” she said.

She added: “While he was doing that, he was taking a video of it. He told me any mistakes I make he will push the video in the internet and expose me.”

She told the Court after the process, she was asked to go home straight, adding she was warned not to go to the police by her tormentors.

She testified that the process lasted for more than forty-five minutes.

“Where was Ismaila Ndong while this was happening?” asked Lawyer Kimbeng Tah for the State.

She said Ndong was there and was requesting her to call her family to send them money. She detailed that when she informed them that her father was late and her mother was a market vendor, the other boy slapped her and asked her to remember their warnings to her.

She said the other boy threatened to stab her if she turns back while she was going adding while she was going, the boy moved backward and got into the taxi and they drove away.

She said when she reached home, her sister took her to the Kairaba Police Station where she gave her statement. She said she found two other victims with the same complaint and they were all taken to the crime scene by the police.

She will continue with her evidence in chief on the 5th August 2020 at 11 am.