By Crispina Taylor
The slow pace of the justice system is encouraging a rise in sexual and gender-based violence in the western rural district, an activist has warned.
Yeama Baba Conteh, the head of Woman for Woman, a community-based organization in Waterloo which propagates justice for abused women and girls, told Politico that multitude of cases of sexual and gender-based violence were packed at the High Court in Freetown without any hope that a judge would address them.
She said because of this, victims have grown discouraged to come forward with complaints.
Waterloo, about 30km from Freetown, is the largest town in the Western Rural Area. The rural setting is a common place for sexual and gender-based violence, and often, according to civil society organizations, cultural beliefs prevent victims from taking legal actions.
Organizations like Woman for Woman have however been working against these cultural traditions in a bid to cut down on what they believe is one of the highest rates of abuse in the region.
Ms Conteh said sexual violence was rampant because offence was being compromised at every stage even with the victims’ parents.
She said it had become difficult to control the situation because while the high court had its problems, the country’s human rights approach was deficient.
The activists believed the attitude of the general public was also contributing to the problem as society tended to encourage sexual offenders. Conteh, who studied in the UK, said her experienced living in the west was that once you were convicted of sexual abuse, especially involving children, no one wanted to associate with you.
And she said in terms of the justice system it’s such that offenders were highly likely not to see the light of day until they were sentenced.
Even in jail they were shun by fellow inmates, she said.
“But unfortunately, in this country it is all ok. When these perpetrators are arrested they are granted bail even on the same day,” she said.
The preliminary investigations are done at the magistrate court at Waterloo and then sent to the high court.
“All the cases that have gone through preliminary hearing at the magistrate court in Waterloo and are forwarded to the high court, none have been called for over four to five years now,” said Conteh.
“There are hundreds of cases that have been transferred to the high court that have not been called and these perpetrators are going up and down on their businesses whilst these victims await justice. I have been to the high court, I have gone to see the registrar, I have used the local radio stations in the community; there are horrific stories from these children.”
Another issue is that victims of sexual violence hardly get medical attention.
The Rainbow Center, which is a privately funded agency, tries to provide support to such victims. But Conteh said they only provide initial treatment. She has had to go further to ensure some of the children under her organization’s care receive full care for infections and other complications that results from violent abuse, she said.
(C) Politico 14/01/16
