Football Coach Slammed 7 Years for Sexual Assault of 10-Year-Old Boy

Convicted Coach Ansumana Gassama

By Fatoumata Konteh

The Kanifing Magistrates’ Court has sentenced Ansumana Gassama to seven years’ imprisonment after convicting him of an unnatural offence involving a 10-year-old boy in the Kanifing Municipality.

Principal Magistrate Sallah Mbai delivered the ruling on Tuesday, 18th August 2026, after Gassama pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 122(1)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 2025.

The law provides for a minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment for a person convicted of engaging in a sexual act with another person against the order of nature. According to the prosecution, Gassama called the minor to his residence on or about 23rd July 2026. Upon the child’s arrival, he allegedly asked him to undress before engaging in sexual conduct with him.

The court heard that the child immediately reported the incident to his parents. The prosecution told the court that the minor was bleeding and was taken to hospital for medical treatment after the matter was reported to the police station.

Gassama was subsequently arrested and, during police questioning, admitted to committing the offence. Appearing before the court during sentencing, Gassama pleaded for forgiveness, saying it was his first time committing such an offence.

“This is the first time I am doing this, and I have learnt from what I experienced in Mile 2. I appeal to the court to forgive me. It will never happen again,” he told the court.

He further appealed to those present in court to forgive him, describing the incident as a mistake and promising that it would not happen again. However, prosecution counsel Jallow urged the court to consider the suffering endured by the victim and his family.

“It is true that this is the accused’s first time, but the victim has gone through this and suffered immensely as a result of the act,” Jallow told the court.

The prosecution further submitted that the victim and his family had incurred significant expenses in ensuring his recovery and urged the court to order the accused to compensate the family.

In delivering his ruling, Magistrate Sallah Mbai said the statutory minimum sentence of five years would not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offence. The court identified several aggravating circumstances, including the age of the victim, the penetrative nature of the sexual conduct, the physical injuries suffered by the child and Gassama’s position of trust as the child’s football coach.

The magistrate said Gassama exploited that position of trust to gain access to the child and facilitate the commission of the offence. According to the court, the combination of these circumstances made the offence “significantly more serious” than the minimum threshold prescribed by law.

While the court considered mitigating factors, including Gassama’s youth, first-offender status, guilty plea, cooperation and acceptance of the facts, the magistrate ruled that the aggravating circumstances substantially outweighed them.

The court therefore sentenced Ansumana Gassama to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of D500,000, with an additional one-year imprisonment in default of payment.

The court said the sentence took into account the need for deterrence, the protection of children, the vulnerability and age of the victim, the medical evidence and injuries suffered, as well as the abuse of the position of trust.

The case highlights the serious consequences of sexual offences against children and the courts’ duty to impose sentences that reflect the gravity of such offences.