In Tujereng, a paternal incle has been accused of raping his 13-year-old niece He allegedly had sexual intercourse with the teenager under coercive circumstances.

According to one Cia Ceesay, the girl’s family wants to keep it a secret.

“A 13-year- old girl was raped in Tujereng by her father’s younger bro. But they want to settle it at the family level to hide it from the public,” she said.

The girl is a junior secondary student. When What's On-Gambia contacted her family to gather more details about the sexual assault against her, they were very hostile.

Our source disclosed the police in Tujereng were not informed because the family don’t want the uncle to be arrested and dragged to court for raping his niece. They also refused to seek medical help for the 13-year-old.

Incidents of rape are often covered up and while the practice is common across the country, it is more pronounced and prevalent in rural communities. The victims are left to suffer for years.