Addressing sexual violence in Sierra Leone
A quest for justice
By Shibani Malhotra, Justice and Security Sector Reform Specialist, BCPR

Although it has been six years since the official end of hostilities, Sierra Leone’s image still remains tainted by the brutality of the decadelong civil war characterized by cutting off the hands of helpless civilians. Today, Sierra Leone is on the long road to recovery.

However, peace has come at a high price, especially for women and girls. Violence against women and girls is astonishing—all the more so because redress is rarely available. Statistics speak for themselves. In the past six months, there were 625 reported sexual assaults on women and girls in just three districts in Sierra Leone. More than 50 percent of the victims were between the ages of 11 and 15, while 7 percent were under the age of five. Of these 625 women and girls, 296 sought legal redress but only four cases were successfully prosecuted (1 percent). Most sentences ran between one and 12 years.

These numbers are just the tip of the iceberg, as rape is systematically underreported. What about the other districts in the country where such statistics are not available?

Behind each statistic, there are individual stories that turned my stomach. For instance, the 11-year-old girl who was brutally raped by her stepfather and then died due to the lack of money to pay for medical care.

Rape is not easily recognized by society. The same is true for domestic violence.

In an attempt to help survivors of sexual violence, the Sierra Leone Police has established Family Support Units. However, the journey to the Family Support Units is an arduous one, and survivors often have no money for the trip and, thus, no choice but to abandon their quest for justice before it has even begun. For the lucky few who can make it to the Family Support Units, they have to get a certificate from a medical doctor regarding their injuries, which costs more money.

Once that is done, the Family Support Units prepare and send the case to the Magistrates Court where a judge presides. More often than not, the judge decides to arbitrarily adjourn the case. The survivor is left with two choices: find a place to stay in the city until the judge decides to hear the case again or go back to her village. Since most do not have the means to pay for accommodation while waiting for the hearing, they return to their village and the case is dropped.

There are civil society groups, including women’s organizations, that are endeavouring to change the system. They are creating shelters, providing free medical assistance and counselling, and helping with legal fees. Sierra Leone also has several women in empowered positions, such as the Chief Justice, who are pushing for change, including more female Magistrates, lawyers and judges.

Building on these efforts, UNDP is developing a programme to assist survivors of sexual violence and get convictions. I intend to return to Sierra Leone in the coming months to help mobilize resources, both financial and physical, to ensure that UNDP’s support has a sustainable impact in making justice for sexual violence the rule rather than the exception. My hope is that, through our joint efforts, peace will be more than just an empty word for women and girls in Sierra Leone. CPR

Photo caption: Girls in Sierra Leone wait for family members returning from refugee camps in Liberia. Source: UN/Eric Kanalstein

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In this Issue

> Sexual violence in Sierra Leone
> Snapshots of Somalia
> One month in Myanmar
> Livelihoods in Liberia
> Building peace in the DRC
> Spotlight on Staff

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