A primary school teacher in Burkina Faso has been sentenced to seven years in prison, with five years to be served in custody, following his conviction for the aggravated rape of an 11-year-old student.
The Ouaga I High Court’s criminal chamber heard the case on March 30, 2026, where the defendant—a married father of three—admitted to a relationship with the pupil that originated through phone exchanges in late 2024.
The abuse resulted in a pregnancy that led to the victim being rejected by her own family. The teacher was eventually apprehended in February 2026 after he attempted to secure abortion services via social media. While the prosecution sought an 11-year sentence based on the defendant’s abuse of authority and the subsequent damage to the education system, the court acquitted him of attempted abortion charges but found him guilty of aggravated rape. In addition to his prison term, he was ordered to pay a fine of one million CFA francs.
HO/te/Sf/lb/abj/APA