Guinea Teen With Sickle Cell Dies After Exam Cheating Arrest, Father Blames Authorities
- A teen boy was arrested in Guinea for allegedly using his phone during his national baccalaureate exam on 15 July
- The teenager, who had sickle cell disease, was sentenced to six months in prison and transferred to hospital after his health deteriorated in detention
- His father said his son did not receive proper medical care while imprisoned and is calling for an investigation
The father of a 17-year-old Guinean student with sickle cell disease has blamed the authorities for his son's death after the boy died following his arrest for alleged exam fraud.
Mamadou Djouma Bah, a social sciences student, was arrested on 15 July after he was allegedly found using his phone during Guinea's national school-leaving baccalaureate examination. He was among a group of students detained on suspicion of exam fraud.
Source: Getty Images
BBC reported that two days after his arrest, Djouma Bah was convicted of cheating and handed a six-month sentence, five months of which were suspended.
He began serving the remaining month at a prison in Kindia, a city roughly 137 kilometres north-east of the capital, Conakry.
His condition worsened while in custody, prompting his transfer to the regional hospital. According to the prosecutor, the teenager later died "under the care of his treating physician." Officials said he had spent approximately two days in hospital before being discharged to return home, where he died.
His father, Mamadou Saliou Bah, told the BBC he visited his son in hospital during that period. He described his son struggling to breathe and asking to lean against him before uttering what would be his final words: "Dad, I'm dying."
Saliou Bah said his son did not "receive good medical care" in detention and is demanding a full investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Calls for Investigation
Guinea's Education Minister Alpha Bacar Barry said he was "deeply saddened by the news" and offered his "sincere condolences" to the bereaved family.
Human rights organisations have joined the father in demanding an independent inquiry into both Djouma Bah's death and the continued detention of other students arrested in connection with the same examinations. Students held demonstrations on Wednesday, calling for their classmates to be freed.
Saliou Bah urged the authorities to release the remaining detained students, warning that further lives could be at risk. "A student should not be sent to prison. These young people are the future of our country," he said. "We lost our son; we lost our future."
Source: YEN.com.gh
