By Prince J Musa in Kenema
The Eastern Region Programmme Manager for Defense of Children International (DCI) in Kenema has called for the sexual offences court to be brought to the doorsteps of victims and perpetrators in the provinces. Mojama Senesie made the request at a press conference held in Kenema on 18 May 2021.
She stated that one of the ways to help reduce sexual violence in the provinces is for government to decentralize the model sexual offences court at district level so people can see perpetrators getting long term prison sentences.
She said many young girls with potentials have left school with the rise in cases of sexual violence against them. This she observed has affected the human resource development of the country because women are not given the opportunity to contribute to national development.
Senesie maintained that DCI wants government to recruit additional state counsels and high court judges to fast track the trials of sexual offence matters so that victims will get speedy justice and also called for the establishment of a forensic laboratory.
She said they have discovered that the school environment has not been friendly to teenage pregnant girls and suggested that government makes provision to strengthen measures safeguarding them when in school. She also recommended for the recruitment of more social workers and for action to be taken against people involved in cyber bullying of girls.
Martta Yeamah Ansu from Henrietta Secondary School in Kenema told journalists that government should make provision for the pregnant girls to access education and to promote safe school environment that will be free from sexual and gender based violence. She asked that a broader sexual health education curriculum be developed.
She noted that there should be mechanisms put in place for case management and referral systems in schools for pregnant girls and other children that are vulnerable.
A civil society activist in Kenema, Christopher Morie Brima said institutions such as the Police Family Support Unit will only be effective if government could pay much attention to its relevance, saying funding for the unit is appalling.
He stated that the poor condition of officers attached to FSU is contributing to compromising of sexual offence cases.
The activist maintained that most sexual offence cases collapse as a result of the poor status of family members of some victims especially cases coming from remote rural communities, with some unable to afford the cost of transportation to attend court proceedings.
Fallah Bockarie from the district human rights committee Kenema stated that the concerns raised by DCI are significant yet civil society and media have roles to play through massive advocacy on some of the issues, adding that not everything should be heaped on government’s shoulders but it’s incumbent on every child- protection organization getting funds on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone, to work towards mitigating some of the factors affecting girls, women and children especially in the area of sexual and gender based violence.
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