By Steven Bockarie Mansaray in Kabala
A young woman in her 20s should, ideally, be in college to unshackle herself and her community from poverty. But not so in the case of Fatmata Tarawallie who was allegedly attacked by her husband, Mohamed Mansaray in Gbendi Dembelia Sinkunia chiefdom, in the last week of December who poured raw caustic soda on her face leaving her blind.
According to the Line Manager of the police Family Support Unit, Alex Mohamed Conteh, Fatmata was accused by her husband of weaning their one-year-old baby without his consent. He is alleged to have threatened the wife and had even complained her to his elder brother who reportedly advised him to take his decision.
Based on the husband´s pressure over the issue, the wife also reportedly went to the husband's elder brother to complain of the alleged threats, denying the allegations against her. She insisted that the baby was still being breast-fed and demonstrated it to prove her point.
However, according to the police, later on that day, the girl went into the room to answer to a call from her husband whom she allegedly met mixing a substance. When she asked what he was mixing, the husband allegedly told her that it was medicine. She alleged that before she would blink, the husband threw the caustic soda mixture on her face.
According to Mohamed Tapsir Sesay, head of the Eye Care Unit at the Kabala Government Hospital, Fatmata was referred to them from the Sinkunia health centre after the incident where she was admitted for four days. But her condition worsened and she was taken back to the village by her relatives.
On 8 January she referred herself to the Kabala Government Hospital and the husband fled and is nowhere to be found.
Based on the findings of the Eye Care Unit of the Kabala Hospital, Fatmata is suffering from melted corneal, which has caused her total blindness. The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Abdul Falamah says the eye problem has also affected the girl’s throat (constrictions) which required an emergency operation, saying the her eyes need to be eviscerated (the eye balls taken out) to reduce other abnormalities.
“Apart from the incident, the slow and late referral to the appropriate eye health care unit also contributed to the total blindness of Fatmata Tarawallie” Dr Falamah said.
The Gender-Based Violence Advocacy Network, set up by medicos del mundo, the Office of National security of Koinadugu district and other civil society organisations are working on the matter and say they want justice to prevail.
Women within Kabala township on Sunday dressed in black to protest and raise funds for the proposed operation. They visited some stakeholders urging them to help put a stop to all forms of gender-based violence as "a lot of women have lost their lives while others are disabled due to gender-based violence".
CSOs intend to open a Trust Fund for the victim and her two children who, amid sobs, spoke to Politico, asking who would help take care of the education and welfare of her children.
(C) Politico 14/01/14
