A Success Story - Ann Jones in Sierra Leone
Posted by Ann Jones on March 17th, 2008
 The 7-year-old rape victim might have been one of these girls. Such young virginal girls are popular targets for rape, or “virgination,” as its called. Photo Katumu Moray, age 12 |
The International Rescue Committee is working with women’s advocate Ann Jones to help women in war zones — survivors of conflict, displacement and sexual and domestic violence — use photography to make their voices heard. Learn more and read Ann’s earlier posts here.Part 3 - Kailahun, Sierra Leone I promised you a success story, and here it is. Warning: It begins badly.About three months ago in Koindu town, a 7-year-old girl was raped. The girl’s mother went to the FSU—the Family Support Unit—of the local police to report the crime. The plainclothes police officers—women and men—of the FSU are specially trained, and they take their job seriously. In this case, they investigated the complaint, questioned the alleged perpetrator—a 25-year-old man, a relative of the child’s father—and took down his confession. They reported their findings to the prosecutor.Members of the FSU often complain of frustration. There are two systems of law in Sierra Leone—formal law and customary law—and in regard to marriage and the family, Muslims may apply Islamic law as well. All of these systems were devised by men. Prosecution of rape falls under formal law, but in fact few complaints ever reach the magistrate’s court. In most cases, as in this one, the rapist is a family member or friend. The family and the perpetrator typically arrange a “compromise” for the sake of “friendship” or family “honor.” The perpetrator compensates the victim’s parents with cash, and there’s an end to it. The victim is not consulted about her feelings, thoughts, or wishes. Especially if she is only a girl.But in this case the mother complained. She also went to see the IRC GBV social worker at the Koindu Women’s Centre, which was built with the help of IRC. The Centre is called Diom Pi Loor—that’s “Unity” in the Kissi language. The social worker supported the mother, counseled her, and gave her some small financial assistance—enough for the mother to travel to Kailahun to be present in the court when her daughter’s case was first brought before the magistrate.With the evidence gathered by the police and the perpetrator’s confession, it seemed an open and shut case. Nevertheless, the magistrate postponed the hearing. The mother traveled back to Koindu.Again the case was called, and again GBV paid the mother’s fare to Kailahun. This time the perpetrator did not appear, and the magistrate postponed the case again. This time he spoke of the “alleged” perpetrator and suggested that the man might not have confessed at all.
 The Kailahun-based GBV team quietly kept up pressure on the reluctant magistrate. Photo: Ann JonesThis time, Natsnet Zerizghi, GBV Startup Program Manager in Kailahun, went to visit the magistrate in his chambers to let him know that IRC GBV was concerned about the case. At the same time, rumors came to IRC that the perpetrator’s mother was spreading money around. She was said to be “well connected” to the magistrate. Natsnet and other GBV staffers made another courtesy call.So the dance went on—and off—for months. Any mother, trying to bring a case before the court, would have been forced to quit long before by the sheer unaffordable cost of hiring a ride on a motorbike to get from Koindu to the court in Kailahun. The round trip costs more dollars than this mother sees in weeks. But in this case, IRC kept coming up with the fare. And Natsnet and others from the Kailahun GBV team kept going to visit the magistrate who seemed to suggest, more and more strongly, that there was little evidence against the confessed perpetrator.Then, just the other day the case was called again. The mother came from Koindu, again at IRC’s expense, and this time she brought her 7-year-old daughter, the rape victim.This time the GBV team asked many other women from the local Women’s Action Group to come to court. Men sympathetic to the issue came to court too. They sat there—ordinary women and men—filling the benches of the courtroom, and among them sat a 7-year-old girl. Mary Sheku, the GBV social worker, observed that the magistrate seemed terrified. All these women were watching.  Natsnet Zerizghi from Eritrea, Startup Program Manager in Kailahun, snapped this photo of thewomen and men who packed the benches of the magistrate’s court to show support for the raped child. Photo: Natsnet ZerizghiWithin minutes the magistrate found ample cause to refer the case to the High Court in Kenema for judgment—as he should have done months before. The judge of the High Court in Kenema is a woman who doesn’t mess around. It’s now likely that the confessed perpetrator will serve some real jail time, and that everyone in Koindu and the surrounding area will hear about it. This case will serve as a precedent—and a warning. It has already made big news in Koindu.This result was brought about by mainly by one brave, persistent mother and the terrifying presence of women, watching, in the courtroom. Women who, by the way, duly noted the effect of their solidarity on the judge. They’ll use that power again. So there’s the success story. Small. But still reverberating—and making women in Kailahun District “plenty, plenty gladdy.”More from Ann |
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March 22nd, 2008 at 3:09 pm
It is high time that these men were made to suffer for their sins. Men have gotten away for too many years–even centuries–for violence against women and this is a beginning in the right direction–to make men pay for their crimes.
March 23rd, 2008 at 6:13 pm
This was an inspiring story. Often times across the world their are many injustices that go unpunished. I often say that I am not a judge I am only a witness. However there are times when what we witness bears truth for itself. When the facts are plain the facts are plain. Sexual Assault is rampant in our own country. How often do we hear of young women not even in double digits, that are molested by step parents, friends of parents, siblings friends, their own boyfriends. Its digusting. Its unnerving, because this is not a new thing. Its something that has been kept under wraps for many generations. I’m glad people still fight for what’s right. Where have all the cowboys gone?
sexcigsandcaf.blogspot.com
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
That is an amazing story. What a great success. My heart and congratulations go out to the persistent mother and all who helped.
Congratulations to the strong persistant Mom and the very brave 7 year old daughter. from a Mom w/ daughters.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
[...] on rape culture in Johannesburg, see this BBC article. The second story I came across was on Ann Jones’ blog for the International Rescue Committee. Currently based in Sierra Leone, and working to implement [...]
March 26th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I am glad to hear that rapists are getting proscecuted in Sierra Leone. I found this site while looking up information on a term paper based on war and rape in the DRC. If only more countries jailed the “bad guys” instead of letting them walk away…
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:28 am
I am so much impress to see IRC-GBV trainig communities members to join the social workers to help ending violent against women and young girls in our communities. In doing so , all forms of violence will be eradicated in the last few years to come.
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:45 am
As a journalist for human rights,its is heart remdering to published a front page saying in 2007 1,197 sexaul assaults recorded.
And the perpectrators should be given a punishment for abuse of young girls.
Please learn to understand that it is very un ethics to see photos of sexaully harash victims,as attached file.
Names and photos will be withheld.
Ibrahim Jaffa Condeh,Concord Times Newspaper.