By Fatoumatta Sillah
The Bundung High Court has acquitted and discharged three women accused in connection with the alleged female genital mutilation-related death of a minor after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
Justice Isatou Janneh delivered the ruling yesterday after upholding a no-case submission filed by defence counsels Kaddijatou Jallow and Fakebba Darboe.
The accused — Fatou Camara, Hawa Conteh and Oumie Sawaneh — had been facing charges of conspiracy and prohibition of female circumcision under the Women’s (Amendment) Act 2015.
State prosecutors alleged that the three women carried out a circumcision procedure on Baby Sarjo Conteh in September 2025, which allegedly resulted in the child’s death.
During the proceedings, the prosecution called 11 witnesses and tendered several exhibits before closing its case.
Following the close of the prosecution’s case, the defence opted to file a no-case submission, arguing that the evidence presented by the state was weak, discredited and insufficient to sustain a conviction.
In her ruling, Justice Janneh agreed with the defence arguments, holding that the prosecution had failed to meet the legal threshold required for the accused persons to be called upon to enter their defence.
Citing Section 245 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2025, the court ruled that the evidence before it was insufficient to continue the trial, leading to the immediate acquittal and discharge of all three accused persons.
The case had drawn public attention amid ongoing debates surrounding the enforcement of anti-FGM laws in The Gambia.
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