The criminal chamber of the Thiès High Court was the scene, on Monday, March 23, of a lengthy trial concerning a case that had deeply affected the railway capital. The court examined the murder of Belgian national José Christiane Tielmans, known as Aminata, which occurred on October 4, 2020, in the Thiès-None neighborhood.

The defendant, A. Sarr, her husband, is on trial for murder, violation of burial laws, and concealment of a corpse. His first wife, R. Sène, is being prosecuted for failure to assist a person in danger.

The facts

According to the indictment, José Christiane, approximately 70 years old, left Belgium after her retirement to settle in Senegal. After a stay in Thiès, she met A. Sarr, a building contractor, with whom she began a romantic relationship that led to marriage. Subsequently, she decided to build a house in Thiès-None and released funds which she gave to A. Sarr for the project.

Subsequently, the man moved his first wife, R. Sène, and their children into the Belgian woman's home, which she did not accept. From then on, the couple argued frequently. They lived in a tense atmosphere until the day José asked A. Sarr to evict his family from the house. That Sunday, another argument erupted. It was in these circumstances that José lost his life and disappeared without a trace, leaving his friends and family untraceable.

After José's death, her husband concealed the body in a bag and transported it in his vehicle to bury it in the bush near the village of Dakhar Mbaye, not far from Thiès. He then went about his business as if nothing had happened, while José's relatives worried about her absence. A. Sarr claimed she had simply gone out.

Worried, Ms. Y. Ndione went to the central police station in Thiès to report her friend missing. The investigation was then handed over to the Dakar Research Section. The gendarmes' investigation led to the arrest of A. Sarr a few weeks later. During the preliminary investigation, the accused, A. Sarr, reportedly admitted to headbutting José. The location where the victim's body was buried was subsequently discovered.

The autopsy results

The body was exhumed by firefighters in the presence of judicial authorities and then taken to the Anatomy and Cytology Laboratory at Le Dantec Hospital for an autopsy. The medical certificate issued by Dr. Ibou Thiam and Dr. Abdou Magib Gaye concluded that death was secondary to head and chest trauma with multiple fractures. The autopsy also revealed that the body was in a very advanced state of decomposition: frontal hematoma of the scalp and subdural space, fractures of the anterior arches of the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th left ribs with the presence of coagulated blood in the pleural cavity.

The suspect, A. Sarr, was charged with murder, violation of burial laws, and concealment of a corpse, and then remanded in custody. His first wife, R. Sène, was also arrested and charged with failure to assist a person in danger, before being released on bail.

The defendants' statements before the criminal chamber

In court, A. Sarr, now 53 years old, denied the charges. He stated that he had never had any disagreements with his wife and claimed that she suffered an asthma attack after an argument. According to him, the victim collapsed in the kitchen. Panicked after her death, he asserted that he transported and buried the body himself in the bush near Dakhar Mbaye.

Regarding the fractures found during the autopsy, he maintained that they were caused when he dragged the body along the ground. He also admitted to throwing away the victim's phone, which was later found far from the home and the burial site.

His first wife, R. Sène, for her part, claimed to know nothing about the events. She explained that her husband had told her about an asthma attack and asked her to go to his parents' house in Mbour, giving her 15,000 FCFA.

Witness statements

Several witnesses were interviewed. Ms. Y. Ndione, a close friend of the victim, spoke of tensions within the couple and previous violence. She stated that José had called her on the day of the incident, urging her to come immediately, saying that her husband had emptied his safe. Upon arrival, she was unable to gain access to the home.

“When I arrived at her house, I found her husband’s vehicle parked in front. I rang the doorbell to get in, but no one would. I tried everything to get inside, but I couldn’t. I then went back home to call José, but there was no answer. I returned on Monday to check on the situation, and R. Sarr, A. Sarr’s daughter, told me that José had gone out. I waited for her for a while, but she still hadn’t come back, and her phone wasn’t ringing either. That’s when I went to file a report at the central police station in Thiès,” she explained.

Y. Ndione stated that one day, as they were leaving for the market, José told her that since her husband had brought his family to their home, they no longer got along and they no longer slept together. She also told him that A. Sarr was forcing her to have sex. Ms. Y. Ndione further reported that she had noticed marks of violence on her arms.

The defendant, A. Sarr, denied the witness's statements. He maintained that the testimony was unfounded and fabricated. "Y. Ndione's daughter worked for José, and it was at my request that she was dismissed. That's why she testified against me," A. Sarr countered.

Other witnesses confirmed that the victim was anxious and living in a tense atmosphere. R. Sarr, the defendant's daughter, also testified that on that day, José asked to see his father, who had gone to work. When his father arrived, he found his aunt in the living room. She stated that she heard the two of them arguing but couldn't understand what they were saying. She recounted seeing her father then lead José to his room before telling him she was asleep. R. Sarr added that the next day, her father led her to believe that José had gone out.

prosecution's indictments

During his closing arguments, the public prosecutor argued that the motive for the crime was linked to the victim's property, specifically her house and money. According to him, the defendant's aim was to deceive the victim in order to steal her belongings. When he realized his plan was failing, he beat her to death and concealed her body in a bag before burying her in the Dakhar Mbaye forest. The prosecution believes that the testimonies, especially that of Y. Ndione, demonstrate that the defendant intended to kill. They concluded that A. Sarr was guilty of the charges and requested a life sentence.

Regarding the defendant R. Sène, the prosecutor also believes she is at fault for neither acting nor reacting to her husband's actions. He has requested a five-year prison sentence for her.

Defense arguments

The defense of the defendant R. Sène, represented by Me Ndione and Me Sonko, pleaded for acquittal, arguing that she played no role in this case and that she was completely unaware of the facts.

The defense, represented by lawyers A. Sarr and Sène, argued that the death was accidental, linked to an asthma attack, and requested that the charges be reduced to manslaughter. This defense maintains that the defendant concealed the victim's death due to panic.

At the end of the hearing, the judge took the case under advisement and the judgment will be delivered on May 5, 2026.