By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo.
Police in Bo say they are investigating a suspected attempt of a family to compromise an alleged matter of teenage pregnancy involving two minors.
The Family Support Unit of the police at the Bo West Police Station are handling the matter which was reported since last week. Politico understands that at least two people were detained briefly over the issue that involves a 13 year old girl who was allegedly impregnated by an underage boy.
Sources say the girl, who is a class 5 pupil in Bo, was impregnated by a 17 year old boy, a secondary school pupil who is sitting to the 2020 WASSCE.
Both the boy and the guardian of the girl were briefly detained and then released last week.
A police source told Politico that the boy was released to enable him complete his examination. They said the guardian, Fatmata Kamara, was also released and asked to return together with the boy after his exams.
The two families allegedly decided to settle the issue at home on Monday, 31st of August Bo when journalists were alerted. An attempt to enquire with the police led to the detention of the woman.
Yusuf Kamara, a relative of the 13-year-old girl, confirmed to Politico that they invited the family of the boy who impregnated their daughter to inform them about the action of their son.
The 75 years old guardian, Fatmata Kamara, said she noticed signs of pregnancy on the girl on Friday, 28 August, and she later took her to a nurse near their home who confirmed it.
According to Fatmata, the nurse said the girl was three months pregnant. She added that she then informed the biological parents of the girl in Mowoto Village, Bumpeh, Ngao Chiefdom in Bo District, who travelled to Bo to sit on the matter.
Fatmata had been living with the girl since when she was five years old.
According to the girl’s family, the boy admitted to the act of impregnating the girl at the meeting held in the home of the girl. Sources said the girl’s family had decided to hand over the girl to the family of the boy until she would have delivered.
Compromise has been a major challenge in the fight against sexual and gender based violence in Sierra Leone. Progress has however been made in recent times in terms of bringing perpetrators to book, especially with the establishment of the Model Sexual Offences Court and the review of the Sexual Offences Act.
But campaigners say for the phenomenon to end, it will take the will of the victims and their families to report cases.
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