Guinea: Doctors implicated in M'mah Sylla's death sentenced to heavy sentences

The death of M'mah Sylla caused a great stir in Guinea. Here, her relatives gather at Conakry airport to welcome the remains of the young woman, Tuesday, November 23, 2021. © Matthias Raynal / RFI

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On Tuesday, April 4, four men were sentenced in Conakry in the case of M'mah Sylla, a young woman who died in November 2021 after being raped in a neighborhood clinic. Her death sent shockwaves through the country and "Justice for M'mah Sylla" has become an emblematic slogan in the fight against violence against women. The four men, all doctors, worked in facilities not recognized by the medical association and were convicted of rape and assault resulting in the death of M'mah Sylla. They were sentenced to between 1 and 20 years in prison.

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Historic condemnations across Guinea for Me Mountaga Kobole Keïta, lawyer on the side of the family of the deceased M'mah Sylla because for him, it is a message sent to the perpetrators of sexual and surgical violence.

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It's a verdict that advises narcissistic perverts to curb their attitudes. M'Mah Sylla, certainly, today has left us, but it is a verdict that brings us back to say "never again"

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Never again ", it was the continuation of the slogan "Justice for M'mah Sylla" that went viral after his death to demand exemplary sanctions.

Prosecutor Ibrahima Kanfory Sylla is also satisfied with the decision of the Mafonco Court of First Instance.

« The M'mah Sylla case has touched a lot of Guineans because it summarizes all the evils suffered by women, so today if we have such a decision it engages the responsibility of everyone, especially our doctors, because we should not treat a human being like a guinea pig. »

Of the four defendants convicted of participating in M'mah Sylla's ordeal, one man is still at large.

M'mah Sylla had been raped several times by the very people she had come to see for treatment, then aborted in conditions unfit for surgery. Evacuated in a deleterious state in Tunisia, M'mah Sylla died on November 20, 2021, despite several operations to save her. She was 25 years old.

For Moussa Yero Bah, president of the NGO Women, Development and Human Rights in Guinea, these sentences are "a symbol" very important in a country where women are at risk in medical facilities, at school, and even within families.

Moussa Yero Bah, president of the NGO Women, Development and Human Rights in Guinea, the convictions are "a symbol" because "there is a trivialization of rape cases" with "stigmatized victims"

Amélie Tulet

► Read also: Death of M'mah Sylla: in Guinea, clandestine clinics proliferate (2/2)

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Read on on the same topics:

  • Guinea
  • Justice
  • Wives
  • Women's rights
  • Sexuality