A Senegal Boarding School That Drew Students From The U.s. Is At The Center Of An Abuse Investigation

DAKAR, Senegal — The American Dara Academy successful Senegal marketed itself to families successful nan United States arsenic an affordable boarding schoolhouse wherever their children could study nan Quran alongside an American curriculum. Parents and families — galore pinch West African roots — sent their children to nan schoolhouse believing it would beryllium a rigorous and affordable belief education.

But nan schoolhouse is being investigated for alleged beingness abuses, pinch hundreds of students withdrawing from nan academy and 1 of 2 campuses — wherever astir of nan alleged abuses took spot — now closed, according to an charismatic adjacent to nan case.

In accounts shared pinch nan Associated Press, students alleged that supervisors hit disobedient pupils many times successful a alleged “magic room.” The schoolchildren said they were sometimes ordered to portion to their underwear aliases beryllium naked and told to squat pinch their arms extended, gripping dense rocks. If nan rocks fell, nan beatings grew worse.

The authorities successful Senegal confirmed to nan AP that an investigation is underway. The country’s gendarmerie, its kid protective services and nan Ministry of Justice are progressive successful nan inquiry, according to an charismatic adjacent to nan case.

In precocious January, nan school’s head and 3 administrators were arrested, according to parents and a personification pinch nonstop knowledge of nan arrests and investigations. They said nan head was released and placed nether location arrest.

Senegal’s kid protective services, known by its French acronym AEMO, did not respond to a petition for comment. A spokesperson for nan gendarmerie, Ibrahima Ndiaye, confirmed that nan unit was notified astir nan abuses but said nan investigation is now pinch nan Ministry of Justice.

The schoolhouse head and administrators who were arrested told nan AP they could not speak connected nan matter owed to nan ongoing investigation. The nonstop charges person not been announced.

“The children are successful nan attraction of authorities, and charges will beryllium revenge against anyone recovered responsible,” Aminata Diagne, a spokesperson for nan Ministry of Justice, said of nan ongoing investigations into nan abuses.

Students said they were beaten pinch sticks

The American Dara Academy enrolled 311 students — including 120 U.S. citizens — crossed 2 campuses successful Senegal. Most students were children of West African root calved successful nan United States, immoderate from European countries specified arsenic France, nan United Kingdom, and Belgium. Only a fewer were from West Africa.

According to a Jan. 12 written title sent by nan U.S. Embassy successful Dakar to Senegalese authorities, respective American students reported terrible corporal punishment. The minors, according to nan letter, identified nan school’s director, who is simply a dual American-Guinean citizen, and 3 different administrators, arsenic responsible for nan abuses.

The AP has verified nan authenticity of nan title missive and its claims astir abuses by speaking pinch dozens of parents and officials adjacent to nan case. The parents and officials who agreed to beryllium interviewed did truthful without attribution to protect their children and because they were not authorized to speak astir nan issue.

In their accounts, nan students described administrators beating them pinch sticks connected their legs, backs, and genitals while being forced to support accent positions.

Some students said alloy rods were sometimes utilized connected areas that would not time off visible marks. At times, nan blows landed connected their heads, they said.

It is unclear whether immoderate injuries required hospitalization, but immoderate students reported receiving scars connected aggregate parts of their bodies.

The students were warned by their abusers not to speak to U.S. Embassy officials aliases to nan police, aliases their parents successful nan United States could beryllium arrested by migration authorities and deported, according to nan embassy’s title missive and a personification acquainted pinch nan case.

The ministry and different applicable agencies person released fewer specifications astir nan lawsuit aliases imaginable charges.

‘I really thought I was leaving them successful a safer place’

Some parents told nan AP they chose nan American Dara Academy for its operation of belief instruction and a U.S. program astatine a comparatively debased cost, of astir $300 per month, including tuition, housing, and meals.

The schoolhouse ran 2 campuses, 1 successful nan capital, Dakar, and nan 2nd successful Toubab Dialaw, a coastal colony 34 miles from nan capital.

Before its closure, nan precocious schoolhouse field successful Toubab Dialaw — wherever astir of nan alleged maltreatment took spot — consisted mostly of a building tract pinch trailers, nary moving water, predominant powerfulness outages, and makeshift zinc latrines. Students, however, were being taught successful nan facility, according an charismatic pinch nonstop knowledge of nan investigation.

After nan embassy contacted families, astir two-thirds of nan students — astir 250 children, including astir 100 Americans — withdrew from nan schoolhouse and returned to their location countries, according to parents and a personification acquainted pinch nan investigation. The remaining students were transferred to nan Dakar campus, which is successful amended condition.

The AP said to dozens of parents, galore of them saying they were contacted by nan U.S. embassy astir nan alleged abuses. None said their children told them astir nan abuses.

One parent, who said connected information of anonymity to protect their child’s privacy, said they person withdrawn their children and are waiting for them to beryllium brought backmost to nan U.S. They said their children were not among those said to person been abused.

“When I first visited nan school, I stayed pinch them for a week,” nan genitor said. “I really thought I was leaving them successful a safer place.”

Corporal punishment

In Senegal, corporal reward remains lawful successful homes nether nan country’s family law, which gives those pinch paternal authority a “right of correction,” though criminal statutes punish unit that causes terrible injuries.

While corporal reward is prohibited successful schools for children nether 14, nan rule does not explicitly widen to children extracurricular that property range, backstage schools, aliases belief schools, wherever nan “right of correction” tin still perchance apply.

United Nations and children’s authorities statement reports statement that corporal reward continues successful practice.

It remains unclear whether prosecutors will record charges aliases what further actions are being considered.

For now, nan investigation continues, and nan children who erstwhile filled its dormitories are scattered — immoderate backmost home, others still successful nan schoolhouse waiting for answers.

The schoolhouse building successful Dakar is nether tight security, pinch constabulary guarding nan site.

Banchereau writes for nan Associated Press. AP writer Babacar Dione successful Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.