A Guinea exam cheating case has ended in the death of a 17-year-old student, after his family said he deteriorated in detention and later died following treatment at a hospital. Mamadou Djouma Bah, who had sickle cell disease, was arrested after he was allegedly caught using his phone during the country’s national school-leaving baccalaureate on 15 July.
His father, Mamadou Saliou Bah, told the BBC that he blames the authorities for what happened and says his son did not receive proper medical care while in custody. Prosecutors said the teenager died under the care of his treating physician after he was transferred to hospital when his condition worsened in prison. The family is now pressing for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to the source account, Bah was detained along with other students who were also suspected of exam fraud. Two days after the arrest, he was convicted of cheating and given a six-month sentence, with five months suspended. He was serving the remaining month in a prison in Kindia, about 137km northeast of the capital, Conakry, when his health declined.
Bah’s father described a painful final visit in hospital. He said the teenager told him he could not breathe properly and asked to lean against him. The father recalled his son saying, “Dad, I’m dying.” After roughly two days in hospital, the teenager was discharged and returned home, where he died, according to officials.
