The
father of a 5-year-old girl who a French prosecutor says was sexually
abused by a French soldier has hired a lawyer and vowed on Sunday to
follow legal proceedings closely to ensure justice is done.
Allegations
against two soldiers were disclosed last week. They were suspended and
arrested upon their return to France, though the Paris prosecutors'
spokeswoman said Saturday that one had been released without charges.
It
is the second case of alleged sexual abuse of minors by French soldiers
in Africa to surface in recent months. French officials have insisted
that the Burkina Faso case is unrelated to one in Central African
Republic. In that case, officials have come under heavy criticism for
not following up quickly on initial allegations.
France has troops in Burkina Faso and nearby countries as part of a large force fighting extremists in the region.
Ben
Ouedraogo, the father of the 5-year-old, told The Associated Press on
Sunday he disagreed with the decision to repatriate the soldiers, though
officials have said this was done in line with agreements between the
two countries.
"They
told us that this type of case is an affair for the French justice
system and that they can't be judged in Burkina. I find it unacceptable
but it doesn't concern me," he said.
He
said his daughter and a 3-year-old friend were at a swimming pool when
the incident occurred, and that one of the soldiers inadvertently left
behind a device with footage of the abuse.
The video evidence should be enough to secure a conviction without forcing the victims to testify, Ouedraogo said.
While
he has not filed a complaint in Burkina Faso, Ouedraogo said he planned
to start a campaign to educate parents on how to protect their children
from pedophiles.
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