In Darou Rahmane 2, a quiet neighborhood in Yeumbeul North, horror took over. A young girl, Penda K., was arrested for throwing her newborn into a septic tank, an atrocious act she blames on fear of reprisals from her mother.
A chilling drama in the night of Yeumbeul
It all started on the evening of Wednesday, November 20, around 10 p.m. Penda’s uncle, O. Diallo, discovers the decomposing body of a newborn baby floating in the foul-smelling waters of their septic tank. Faced with this unbearable scene, he immediately alerted the police.
The officers dispatched to the scene noted the extent of the tragedy. While the firefighters recovered the body in a state of advanced putrefaction, the courts ordered its burial without an autopsy, still requiring a certificate of the type of death. A preliminary investigation is opened to track down the alleged perpetrator.
“I did it out of fear of my mother.”
Quickly located and arrested, Penda K. confesses everything. According to her statements, she gave birth alone, without assistance, in total secrecy. “It was my boyfriend who got me pregnant. He had agreed to take responsibility. But I was afraid of my mother, who is very strict,” she confided during her interrogation.
In her panic, the young girl wraps her newborn and throws him into the septic tank without even checking his gender. Investigators note in her story a deep fear of maternal authority, which she presents as the sole driving force behind this unimaginable act.
A pending trial, unanswered questions
Brought before the Pikine High Court, Penda K. faces a charge of infanticide. The drama raises questions about the support of young pregnant girls and the role of family pressure in such acts.
As Les Échos points out, this tragic news item highlights the devastating consequences of isolation and fear, which can transform an unwanted pregnancy into an act of extreme violence. Is a society that judges without listening complicit in these tragedies?
The coming days will help clarify responsibilities in this affair, but one thing is certain: Yeumbeul Nord will remain marked by this sordid tragedy for a long time.
