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crime1d ago
Maryland man who worked at embassy in Burkina Faso sentenced for rape of 2 girls
- A Maryland embassy employee in Burkina Faso was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing two girls in Ouagadougou.
- Fode Sitafa Mara, 41, was convicted on multiple counts including aggravated sexual abuse of a minor.
- The assaults occurred at Mara’s embassy-leased residence in Ouagadougou in 2022 and 2023.
- Prosecutors said Mara exploited the girls’ mother’s illness to demand sex in return for assistance.
- The case arose under Project Safe Childhood, a federal effort to combat child sexual exploitation.
- Mara’s attorney said he plans to appeal the conviction.
- The sentencing underscores the U.S. government’s enforcement against crimes involving minors overseas.
- The victims were teenagers living in poverty near Mara’s residence.
- The embassy-linked home served as the setting for the assaults.
- The incident is part of a broader focus on safeguarding diplomatic personnel and dependents.
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