Acts provided for and punished by article 532-18 of the Penal
Code;
Appearing in person at the hearing;
ON THE OTHER HAND;
When questioned in accordance with the provisions of article 396
of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the accused declared that he
wanted to be tried immediately;
During the appeal, the President established the identity of the
accused and gave notice of the act referring the case to the Court
before notifying the prejudice; the State Counsel of Faso stated
that he had summoned the above-mentioned accused before the
Court, at today's hearing, to defend himself on account of the
above-mentioned prejudice;
The accused was questioned and his answers were heard;
The victim made his statements and filed a civil claim
The submissions of the Legal Department were heard;
The accused, who spoke last, made his arguments to defend
himself;
The Court Registrar recorded the proceedings of the hearing;
Then at the end of the proceedings, the Court having ruled in
accordance with the law, the following judgement was
pronounced;
THE COURT
Considering the documents in the file;
Having heard the answers of the accused;
Having heard the victim’s statements and the filing of a civil
claim;
Having heard the submissions of the Legal Department;
Having heard the arguments of the accused, who spoke last;
I) FACTS
On February 27, 2019, the Central Police Station of the
Ouahigouya town received a visit from Mrs. S.M., a housewife
living in Sector 01 of the town, who declared that she had come
to file a complaint against W.M. for statutory rape of her
daughter O.H., a minor aged 12 years, as she was born on March
2, 2007;
During the hearing of her complaint, Ms. S.M explained that
one night, at around 10 pm in September 2018, she surprised
her daughter not far from her yard in the company of W.M; that
the next day, she noticed that she had abandoned the family
home; that she learned that her daughter was in Sector 10 of the