By Josephine Isha Kamara
On Wednesday, protests over the rape and killing of a five-year-old girl in Sierra Leone erupted for a third day, with protestors demanding justice for victims of widespread sexual abuse.
Kadijah Saccoh died on June 17 after being raped many times, according to human rights organizations. She was also strangled, according to a death certificate.
Protesters claimed that a family member had been arrested by police.
Kadijah’s death has served as a watershed moment for women’s rights activists in the West African country, where rapists are seldom prosecuted.
“This lawsuit has gained a lot of traction.” “We hope it will bring about change,” protester Yayah Janneh said over the phone from the capital Freetown’s rally.
Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Bio, who fights against sexual and gender-based violence, revealed on social media that her husband, President Julius Maada Bio, was “extremely unhappy” about the issue and was taking a personal interest in it.
“We will not stop until Princess Khadija receives justice,” said Bio, who heads the “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign to eliminate rape and child marriage.
In Sierra Leone, more than 8,500 incidences of sexual and gender-based violence were reported to police in 2018, with a third involving a juvenile, but activists claim that most rapes go unreported, partially due to victim shame.
According to Equality Now, a global human rights organization, police investigations were lacking, resulting in many complaints being dismissed.
“The government needs to wake up on this,” Jean Paul Murunga, the organization’s program officer for stopping sexual assault, said.
A request for response from the government was not immediately returned.
Murungu said that the culture of impunity stemmed from Sierra Leone’s civil war in the 1990s, during which rape was routinely utilized as a weapon of war.
On Monday, when reports about Kadijah’s death surfaced on social media, protests erupted.
Demonstrators will protest outside parliament on Thursday, according to demonstrator Josephine Davies.
“We’re demonstrating for all girls and women, not just Kadijah.” “We need to put an end to rape impunity,” she stated.
“Police do not conduct investigations.” They are unconcerned. They aren’t interested in learning.”
After hearing testimony from another five-year-old child who was left paralyzed after being raped, President Bio proclaimed a national emergency on sexual assault in February 2019.
Rapists of children could face life in jail under new laws passed in September that increased the punishment for sexual assault.
