By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The father of two children allegedly tortured over allegations of witchcraft is seeking justice for them.
Mohamed Kamara says his brother-in-law, Sylvester Sesay, subjected his children, Desmond Kamara, 9, and Rita Kamara, 7, to flogging, starvation and molestation for a period of three months on the pretext of ridding them of the devil. He said Sylvester accused the children of blocking his destiny through witchcraft.
“He alleged that my children were witches and that I was the one that initiated them,” the father explained.
Rita and Desmond have pale faces and what visibly appear to be marks of cane blisters on their back. Kamara said he only knew of the abuse three weeks ago when Sylvester called him to complain about the children and asked him to take them back.
Kamara, who leaves in Bo, had left the kids with Sylvester after losing his job and could no longer support them. Kamara had a total of four children in the care of Sylvester. The other two are Alex Kamara, 6 and Abu Sesay, 13. Kamara said he doesn’t know the whereabouts of his other two kids.
The matter was reported to the Dwarzack Police post and the New England Police Station.
Kamara is unhappy that even the investigation of child cruelty has taken long and he believes it is due to an apparent lack of willingness on the part of the Police to pursue the matter. Kamara said Sylvester’s brother, Alusine Sesay, was also involved in the torture of his children.
“According to neighbors, there were days when they will lock the kids inside a room and will cast and bind them whiles praying and saying they were removing the demon in them,” the father narrated.
Neighbours were reluctant to talk about the issue when Politico visited the house in the remote hillside community at Georgebrook, Dwarzack, where the children were allegedly tortured. A female neighbor who spoke on condition of anonymity did confirm incidents of abuse.
The police at both Dwarzack and New England confirmed the report but said they do not investigate witchcraft cases.
Detective Constable Adikali Bangura told Politico that they were investigating the case as ‘Child Cruelty’.
“We send witchcraft cases to chiefs. They deal with them,” he said.
In Sierra Leone, it is difficult to prove witchcraft by law. It is mostly handled by local authorities like traditional healers.
The police have not made any arrest yet, but they said they have delivered an invitation to Sylvester.
Neither Alusine nor Sylvester could be reached to comment on the allegations against them.
But Detective Bagura said Kamara did not mention anywhere in his statement to them that Alusine Sesay was one of those who tortured the children.
“We can’t invite or arrest Alusine Sesay because Mr Kamara did not mention in his statement that Alusine was part of those that abused the children,” the detective said.
Responding to the reason behind the delay, he added: “When he made the report, we told him to come to the station and lead us to the house so we could invite the man in question, he didn’t come to the office early enough. That is why we have had this delay.”
The whole situation has had a traumatic effect on the kids. Their father said they were late to attend classes this third term, because of their health.
“During the night they still cry with pain,” Mr Kamara said, adding that he’d spent over Le400, 000 on drugs for them.
The issue has also caused social stigma around the children.
According to Kamara, the kids and other neighbors around don’t play with them.
(c) 2019 Politico Online
