Father sentenced to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping stepdaughter

Ebrima Joof has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the repeated rape of his stepdaughter, in a case that has shocked the nation. Joof has been found guilty of raping his stepdaughter over a three-year period.
The abuse, which occurred between 2020 and 2023 while the victim was living under his care, involved Joof raping the girl up to three times a week. The High Court, presided over by Justice S.K. Jobarteh, delivered the sentence with a scathing rebuke, declaring that “some crimes shatter the very fabric of trust and humanity.”
Joof was charged with one count of rape, contrary to Section 3(1)(a) and punishable under Section 4(i)(a)(iii)(cc) of the Sexual Offences Act, 2013.
According to the particulars of the offence, between 2020 and 2023, in the West Coast Region, the accused, under forceful circumstances, engaged in sexual acts with his stepdaughter, who was under his care.
During his arraignment, Joof pleaded not guilty to the charge. To prove its case, the prosecution called five witnesses and tendered two documents into evidence, marked as Exhibits A and B.
The prosecution revealed that Joof was previously married to the victim’s mother (Prosecution Witness 2). Following their divorce, the victim’s mother left the child in Joof’s care when she was in Primary Two.
The court heard that when the victim reached Primary Six, aged 15, Joof approached her at night, threatened her with a knife, and forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with her. During the assault, he told the victim that because he had been caring for her, she should satisfy his sexual needs.
“This was the victim’s first sexual experience and resulted in visible bleeding. The abuse did not stop there. Joof continued to rape the child at least three times a week. This pattern of abuse persisted until she reached Grade Nine, by which time she had become pregnant. Joof then ceased the assaults, offering no explanation for stopping.”
Defence Case
In his defence, Joof testified that he regarded the victim as his biological daughter. He claimed to have been a responsible father, having cared for her since infancy, including weaning her before the age of two. He noted that the victim bore his surname, which, he argued, reflected his commitment to her upbringing.
Joof stated that the victim, her mother, his first wife, and his other children all lived together as a family unit until the time of the alleged incident. He vehemently denied ever engaging in any sexual act with the victim.
Judgement and Sentencing
Delivering her judgement, Justice Jobarteh stated that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the evidence of rape had been clearly established.
In his plea for mitigation, defence counsel T.B. Jallow informed the court that Joof is a father of 11 children and a hypertensive patient. He argued that the convict had shown remorse and had been in custody since 2023. He urged the court to temper justice with mercy and to consider a lesser sentence.
Justice Jobarteh acknowledged the mitigating factors presented, including Joof’s status as a first-time offender, a family man, and the sole provider for his dependents. She also noted his health condition and the plea for leniency.
However, she emphasised the gravity of the crime, stating that the law prescribes a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for such offences. She described the circumstances of the crime as “nothing short of abhorrent.”
“The convict was not a stranger to the victim; he was her stepfather—a man she knew and trusted as her ‘dad’. He bestowed his name upon her, assumed the role of protector, and then betrayed that sacred trust in the vilest manner imaginable,” the judge said.
“She was a child so young she could not even comprehend her own pregnancy. The age difference alone underscores the distorted power imbalance, and his actions have condemned her to a lifetime of trauma, stigma, and devastation.”
Justice Jobarteh further described the act as “not merely a crime of lust, but a calculated act of cruelty and a beastly perversion of fatherhood.”
“The convict did not pause to consider the lifelong scars he would inflict upon an innocent child, nor the profound betrayal of a relationship that should have been defined by love and protection. Instead, he acted with utter selfishness, reducing a vulnerable girl to an object for his gratification. Such conduct reveals him to be a danger not just to his own family, but to any woman or girl who might cross his path,” she added.
She condemned rape as a scourge upon society, stating that its most shocking manifestations warrant the harshest penalty.
“A man who preys upon his own child forfeits any claim to mercy. He must be removed from society permanently—to ensure he can never again inflict such horror upon another.”
Accordingly, Justice Jobarteh sentenced Ebrima Joof to life imprisonment, stating that the sentence would serve as a stern reminder that some crimes shatter the very fabric of trust and humanity, and those who commit them must face the full wrath of justice.
She further directed the Director General of Mile 2 Prison to ensure that the convict is taken to hospital if the need arises.
Source: The Point