The Association for the Protection of Human Rights (APDH) has addressed a letter to the President of the National Assembly of Senegal, El hadji Malick Ndiaye, and to the deputies of the XVe legislature, to request the re-examination of the law n°2020-05 of 10 January 2020 amending the Penal Code and criminalising acts of rape and pedophilia. In its letter, the organisation said it was concerned about the “grave situation” linked, according to it, to certain accusations of rape or paedophilia which would sometimes be used for settlement of accounts or personal hatred. The APDH cites in particular the case of Fallou Fall, sentenced in première instance to 15 years of criminal imprisonment for rape, then relaxed on appeal on 27 August 2025 by the Chambre criminelle du Tribunal de grande instance hors classe de Dakar. The association considers this case as an illustration of the current limits of the legislation. The human rights organisation advocates the adoption of additional measures to better regulate the application of the law, to strengthen the rights of the defence and to combat false accusations. It also suggests that slanderous allegations of rape or paedophilia be classified as offences of public order, which the public prosecutor’s office may bring before the courts. In its application, the APDH considers that this legal framework would constitute a means of protecting persons falsely accused, while maintaining the fight against the real sexual crimes.
Law on rape and paedophilia: the APDH calls for urgent revision and appeals to the National Assembly
