Magistrate Fatou Darboe has come under fire after handing down a one-year sentence to a Nigerian man convicted of sexually exploiting an underage girl.

Ismaila Ola admitted to the offence of indecent assault. According to the facts as narrated by the prosecutor, he was caught naked with his fingers inside the girl’s private parts.

Reports reaching What’s On-Gambia alsorevealed thatIsmaila was known for bringing young girls into his apartment in Latri Kunda German.

Why did Magistrate Fatou  Darboe of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court give him a one-year sentence?

The surprising ruling attracted online attention after we posted about it on our Facebook page. Many criticized the magistrate for giving the Nigerian sex offender a light sentence.

One Ebrima Sarr wrote: “I wonder if it would have been only a year's sentence if it was the Judge's daughter!”

Another Facebook user, Salifu Jarsey added: “What a shame that he only got one year... He is probably a serial sex offender and should have been registered and sent away for much longer and fined a lot more. There is probably a need to mount a thorough investigation to find out how many of his victims are out there.”

Sarjo Fadera asked: “Is this magistrate not a woman? How comes only one year sentence?”

Fatou Darboe is one of the young female magistrates in the country. She holds a law degree from the University of The Gambia. According to a former classmate, she is not a ‘cooperative person’.