CRIET’s itinerant hearing in Parakou: heavy sentences in several cases of rape involving minors
The chamber responsible for adjudicating sex-based offenses at the CRIET held out-of-town hearings at the Parakou court on February 23 and 25, 2026. Several convictions were issued in cases of sexual violence.
On February 23, ten cases were heard, including two for sexual harassment involving teachers and eight for sexual assaults on girls under thirteen. The sentences imposed ranged from three to ten years of imprisonment, with fines between 500,000 and 2,000,000 CFA francs.
Three defendants were sentenced to ten years in prison and two million CFA francs in fines, another to ten years and one million CFA francs. Four people received seven years of imprisonment, while two others were sentenced to five and three years, respectively.
Among the cases judged is that of a twelve-year-old girl in Parakou. The girl’s mother’s partner, a moto-taxi driver, was found guilty of repeated sexual abuse. He was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of two million CFA francs.
Eight victims were heard, assisted by lawyers from the National Institute of Women and AFAB.
On February 25, eight more cases were heard, including seven for sexual assaults on minors and one for sexual harassment.
The public action was declared extinguished for a defendant who had died, and two defendants were acquitted on the benefit of the doubt. The others were convicted to penalties ranging from five to ten years in prison, with fines ranging between 500,000 and one million CFA francs.
These out-of-town hearings resulted in several convictions in gender-based violence cases, pronounced outside the usual seat of the jurisdiction.
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