The American Dara Academy in Senegal, a boarding school that drew students from the United States, is at the center of an investigation into alleged physical abuse of its students. The school, which marketed itself as an affordable institution where students could study the Quran alongside an American curriculum, has been accused of subjecting its students to severe corporal punishment.
Allegations of Abuse
According to accounts shared with the Associated Press, students alleged that supervisors beat disobedient pupils repeatedly in a so-called “magic room.” The students claimed they were sometimes ordered to strip to their underwear or be naked and told to squat with their arms extended, gripping heavy rocks. If the rocks fell, the beatings grew worse. The allegations have led to the arrest of the school’s director and three administrators, who were later released and placed under house arrest.
The investigation, which is being conducted by Senegal’s gendarmerie, child protective services, and the Ministry of Justice, has confirmed that hundreds of students have withdrawn from the academy, and one of its two campuses, where most of the alleged abuses took place, has been closed. The authorities have not released details about the case or potential charges, but the Ministry of Justice has stated that “the children are in the care of authorities, and charges will be filed against anyone found responsible.”
Conditions at the School
The American Dara Academy enrolled 311 students, including 120 U.S. citizens, across its two campuses in Senegal. Most students were children of West African origin born in the United States, with some from European countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. The school’s high school campus in Toubab Dialaw, where most of the alleged abuse took place, was described as a construction site with trailers, no running water, frequent power outages, and makeshift zinc latrines.
Parents who sent their children to the school did so because of its combination of religious instruction and a U.S. curriculum at a relatively low cost, of about $300 per month, including tuition, housing, and meals. However, after the U.S. Embassy contacted families about the alleged abuses, about two-thirds of the students, including around 100 Americans, withdrew from the school and returned to their home countries.
Corporal Punishment in Senegal
In Senegal, corporal punishment remains lawful in homes under the country’s family law, which gives those with paternal authority a “right of correction,” though criminal statutes punish violence that causes severe injuries. While corporal punishment is prohibited in schools for children under 14, the law does not explicitly extend to children outside that age range, private schools, or religious schools, where the “right of correction” can still potentially apply.
United Nations and children’s rights organization reports note that corporal punishment continues in practice. The investigation into the American Dara Academy has highlighted the need for greater scrutiny of institutions that may be perpetuating such practices.
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