B. Ba, a Guinean national in his thirties, appeared before the Louga District Court, accused of attempted theft, violence and assault. During his hearing, he flatly denied the accusations, explaining that he was suffering from hunger that day.
The defendant, a street vendor, claimed that he was visiting the weekly markets and had gone to Keur Massar. When he arrived at nightfall, he found that the restaurants and shops were closed, and he felt extremely hungry, having eaten nothing all day.
B. Ba mentioned that he took the risk of entering a house to drink water. After quenching his thirst, he noticed that the kitchen door was not closed and rushed in. However, as soon as he touched the pot, a lady knocked on the door, which frightened him and caused him to flee. In his haste, he accidentally bumped into the old lady who was trying to close the door. He insisted that he was not a thief.
However, the complainant presented a different version of events. She claimed that the incident occurred around 1 a.m. and that the accused was looking for something other than food. She added that he closed the door and turned off his torch before assaulting her to escape. Thanks to the quick intervention of the neighbours, B. Ba did not manage to escape.
A neighbor, a witness to the facts, corroborated the complainant’s version, which led to the conviction of B. Ba to two years in prison, including six months.
