Sexual violence continues to be one of the greatest crimes committed against girls in Northern Sierra Leone. Although there are laws in place aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of children in the country, yet girls continue to struggle in the hands of perpetrators. Most children between the ages of two and fourteen continue to grapple with the increasing trend in unlawful carnal knowledge or rape, having little or nothing to do due to the effect of sexual violence on their lives.
In the north, especially in the Bombali District, sexual violence continues to have adverse effects on the lives of the vast majority of girls.
The lack of adequate laws to deal with sexual violence is contributing to the increase in the number of rape and indecent assault cases.
Most of these cases are resolved by out-of-court settlements, a situation which in itself continues to pose a serious threat to the administration of justice in not only the north, but in the country as a whole. Worse still, many of the few that make it to the courts either fail as a result of lack of sufficient evidence to convict the perpetrator or the litigants are frustrated by unwarranted delays and the cost of transportation to cover travel expenses amidst the many repeated adjournments. The attitude of some parents by compromising the cases, either because they have been bribed by the accused or offered a pleasant promise, has also continued to deny the rights of victims, mostly very young girls, to justice. Some family members even receive money from the perpetrator and stop pursuing the latter’s conviction, failing to realize the effect this attitude will have on the girl later in life and even the community as a whole, since it will only encourage recurrence of the act once perpetrators continue to evade justice.
The effect of sexual violence and the often stifled victims’ access to justice in these cases, particularly in the north, has had a number of devastating effects on the victims, quite apart from and in addition to denial of justice. First, there is the psychological effect that follows a sexual attack. Here, as in most parts of Sierra Leone, victims of rape are often scorned by parents, relatives and other members of society. They may be accused of indecent exposure or recklessly dressing, and perhaps most outrageously, even blamed for being “too often in the company of men”. Some are stigmatized and made objects of derision. The victim is regarded in families in the north as a shame and a disgrace to the family, and where the victim is an unmarried girl, she might not attract any suitors in that community, and marriage becomes a tough possibility for her in the future. Also, the victims’ lives are folded inwards, with self-restrictions on their involvement with their peers in school or their immediate neighbours. In fact, this causes many to leave school and in some cases to move to other places in self-imposed exiles. Those who manage to stay in school have to cope with stigmatization. All these have a rippled effect on access to justice for victims, as many rape victims, for the reasons discussed above, often shy away from the police or the courts for fear of publicity and the subsequent social stigma that is bound to come with it.
There are also health implications. In most cases, girls who are sexually abused contract Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). For example, the 9 year-old victim of Alimamy Sesay of Magbaimba Ndohahun Chiefdom (now serving a jail sentence after his conviction), was diagnosed to have contracted an STI after her encounter with the accused.
Some teenage pregnancies in the north have often been caused by rape. Sadly though, some parents would rather force their victimized children on the perpetrator in marriage than pursue the matter in court, although the Child Right Act makes it a crime for anyone to impregnate a girl of minority age. But this law will only be operational when the victim’s parents or representatives are ready to pursue the matter in court.
The Sexual Offences Act is a very big step forward, but needs to be vehemently implemented in every community throughout the country, and locals need to be properly educated on particularly the need for victims to go to court after a sexual attack. They must also be made aware that out-of-court settlement is often at the detriment of the victim and will encourage a recurrence of sexual violence in the community. The law will be more effective if all potential victims know their rights and have the support of their family and the society as a whole, and if the courts will cut down on the persistent delays through unnecessary adjournments.
Without these and other proactive measures, Sierra Leone will remain far behind in the match up to international standards in protecting and promoting the rights of children. The government has to be firm in the fight against sexual violence in the country by establishing close partnerships with NGOs, civil society organizations, and other humanitarian efforts to establish more community structures that will help in bringing out sexual abuse matters to the attention of the appropriate authorities. It is therefore recommended that, more education/ sensitization be done on the Sexual Offences Act, and the Child Right Act be properly implemented at all levels within the district.