28 girls raped in Touba: the minutes of the "obscene" trial of Serigne Khadim Mbacké, his divorce in prison, the tears and the 20-year sentence

A 20-year prison sentence was handed down by the criminal chamber of the Diourbel High Court to Koranic teacher Serigne Khadim Mbacké. The accused was tried this Monday in a special hearing for the rape and pedophilia of 28 girls, 27 of whom were his students, 18 of whom lost their virginity. Seneweb brings you the minutes of this scandalous trial that shocked the public. Tears and confessions were evident.

At approximately 10:00 AM, the accused, Serigne Khadim Mbacké, 36 years old, was brought before the criminal court under heavy escort by prison officers. Wearing babouches and a large, light green boubou commonly known as a "Baye Lahat," the Quranic teacher appeared calmly before the judge. He greeted the court with a smile.

When questioned about the events, the accused denied everything, claiming a conspiracy against him. He alleged that some people disapproved of his leading prayers at the mosque.

Serigne Khadim Mbacké accused an older woman of orchestrating this cabal, he said, because he had rejected her advances.

The chilling accounts of the victims in court

In response to his denials, the 26 victims present at the hearing recounted the horrific events in minute detail. According to the investigation report from the Touba Gendarmerie Company's Research Brigade, they were able to accurately describe Serigne Khadim Mbacké's room and all the items it contained.

The case broke on May 31, 2023, when the Quranic teacher traveled to Casamance. After a long period on the run, he returned to Touba. On June 5, 2023, he was taken to the Ndamatou district police station by some of his relatives. Upon arrival, he was arrested and handed over to the Touba Research Brigade.

The case came to light when Nan, a Koranic student, decided to leave Serigne Khadim Mbacké's daara (Koranic school) to become a cleaning woman due to her teacher's repeated abuse. However, it was ultimately her younger sister, MDN, who told their mother, BT, about the rapes.

According to the victims, the accused took advantage of his wife's absence to commit his crimes in her room. He also acted while the students were reciting their daily lessons before going down to school. Serigne Khadim Mbacké threatened his victims with mystical reprisals if they reported him to their parents.

He brandished a rosary which, according to him, allowed him to know what his victims would tell their loved ones. He also gave them mystical potions, according to their statements.

Despite everything, Serigne Khadim Mbacké denied the facts, claiming that he lived with his wife and brothers at home.

Twelve years old at the time, MD was the first victim to recount her ordeal in a packed courtroom. Despite the stares, the girl poured out her heart to one of her parents.

“Serigne Khadim Mbacké brought me to his room where he asked me to undress completely. He rubbed his penis against my private parts before penetrating me. After satisfying his libido, he cleaned my genitals with a piece of cloth. He threatened me, saying that if I denounced him, he would know everything thanks to his prayer beads. He did this several times,” she confided, before handing the microphone to 12-year-old MMD, who said she had experienced the same thing with her teacher.

The third victim, SS, is now married. She nevertheless recounted the events of her assault. “Serigne Khadim Mbacké offered me a massage. I accepted because I didn't know what would happen next. He sexually assaulted me before having sex with me. I married another man after this assault.”

The fourth victim, KM, aged 13, stated that she spent four years in the daara, where she was repeatedly raped. The fifth victim, AD, aged 11 at the time, confided that she was beaten by her Quranic teacher when she refused. "During our first meeting, he rubbed his genitals against mine because he couldn't penetrate me," she said.

The sixth victim, ND, aged 14, stated that she gave in because Serigne Khadim Mbacké had threatened to hit her. The seventh victim, DD, aged 17, confided that the marabout had exposed himself to her. Terrified, she tried to flee before being beaten and then raped, according to her account.

Her case is unique: MDD, the eighth victim to testify, mustered the courage to denounce the Quranic teacher. According to her statements, the accused offered her oral sex. Her mother, BT, denied orchestrating a conspiracy against the accused, claiming she had never had any problems with Serigne Khadim Mbacké.

The younger sister of the eighth victim also reported being abused by her Quranic teacher. Born in 2009, NMN stated that she was forced to perform oral sex by Serigne Khadim Mbacké. The eleventh victim, NN Wade, was raped during her daily lesson. "Unable to penetrate me with his penis, he inserted his finger into my vagina," she said.

The twelfth victim, SS, was absent from the trial. Ten-year-old AD, the thirteenth victim, recounted her ordeal, as did the fourteenth, FT, aged twelve, who stated in Wolof: "Dama def yeufu saï saï." The accounts of the other victims were practically identical. Fifteen-year-old SG did not attend the daara, but had gone there to bring a book to her younger sister, before being raped twice and then threatened.

Serigne Khadim Mbacké persisted in his denials, stating that the woman, BT, over 40 years old, had made advances toward him. When he refused, he claimed she orchestrated the plot. But his accusations against the elderly woman brought tears to the eyes of one of his daughters, herself a victim of rape. Inconsolable, the young girl was called back to the stand by the prosecutor, who wished to inquire about the situation.

The girl spoke of the serious accusations made by Serigne Khadim Mbacké against her mother. The public prosecutor attempted to console her, stating that the Quranic teacher was fabricating stories to try to sway the court.

After this little girl, one of the victims' fathers could not hold back his tears during the trial.

Serigne Khadim Mbacké stated that this affair had deeply hurt him. He believes he was falsely accused before being imprisoned. He recounted the circumstances of his divorce, which he linked to the case. "It was in prison that my wife asked me for a divorce. We were married in 2019. I am demanding DNA tests," he confided.

Regarding his escape, he claimed his life was in danger. “My home was attacked and one million CFA francs were stolen. One of my neighbors brandished a knife to kill me. I spent the night in Ndamatou before returning to Darou Moukhty. The next day, I went to Casamance to see some friends. I changed my phone number because I was getting calls frequently. I returned to Touba of my own volition,” the accused stated.

As a reminder, the lawyers for the civil parties, including Michel Mahécor Diouf, François Senghor, Elias Sy, and Serigne Diongue, argued that the facts were established and demanded severe penalties for the accused. However, Cheikh Sy, the defense lawyer, pleaded for acquittal.

In his closing arguments, the prosecutor requested a 20-year prison sentence. In its deliberations, the criminal court found the defendant guilty of all the charges against him. He was sentenced to the term requested by the prosecution.