On the Day of the African Child, We Say: Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied for Sierra Leone's Girl Victims of Rape
- Fatima Babih, EdD
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
by Fatima Babih, EdD
Today, across the continent and worldwide, we mark June 16, the International Day of the African Child. It is a day of remembrance for the brave children who perished in the Soweto Uprising of 1976 and a day of reckoning, a moment to confront the systems that continue to fail our most vulnerable.
For too many girls in Sierra Leone, this day is a bitter reminder of the justice that never comes.
A Child’s Nightmare, A Nation's Shame
Three years ago, a sixteen-year-old girl in Bo City endured the unthinkable: she was gang-raped by three men. Her devastated, but determined parents reported the heinous crime, trusting that Sierra Leone’s justice system would deliver swift accountability.
Three years later, that trust has been shattered.
The case remains in an endless web of adjournments, delays, and excuses. Most recently, the Bo High Court postponed another hearing because one accused claimed an injury prevented his attendance. Meanwhile, crucial case files have mysteriously "disappeared," raising disturbing questions about prosecutorial integrity.
This young woman is now nineteen and taking her WASSCE. She has carried her trauma through her entire adolescence. She has watched her attackers walk freely in the same community where she was violated. She has endured the secondary trauma of a system that treats her pain as an inconvenience.
And still—still—she waits for justice.
What Kind of Society Are We?
We must confront an uncomfortable truth: What kind of society allows a child rape survivor to spend three years begging for justice? What does it reveal about Sierra Leone’s moral compass when the rights of survivors are treated as secondary to the comfort and convenience of alleged perpetrators?
The answer cuts deep: Sierra Leone’s judicial system is systematically failing our girls.
Every adjournment sends a chilling message to victims across the nation: your trauma doesn't matter. Your healing can wait. Your justice is not a priority.
The Ripple Effect of Institutional Betrayal
The Bo City case is not isolated. Across Sierra Leone, countless girls and young women face similar ordeals, trapped in a judicial purgatory where justice remains perpetually out of reach. Many survivors, exhausted by the system’s failures, give up. Others, as noted in our letter to Justice Banks Kamara, end up on the streets, engaging in risky behaviors, such as prostitution, drugs, and crimes, rather than contributing meaningfully to society.
This is not just a failure of law, it is a failure of our humanity.
An Urgent Appeal to Chief Justice Kamanda
Your Lordship, you now lead Sierra Leone’s judiciary at a critical moment. You cannot claim success while child rape survivors languish in legal limbo. Our daughters deserve protection, compassion, and swift justice, not endless excuses.
We implore Chief Justice Komba Kamanda, as a father, a guardian of justice, and a leader of moral authority, to treat girl survivors of sexual violence as the emergency they represent. Your judicial reforms and court expansions mean nothing if they don’t reach the most vulnerable.
Every adjournment is a fresh wound. Every postponed case reminds us that our daughters’ lives don't matter.
Our Demands on This Day of the African Child
African Women's R.I.S.E. issues these non-negotiable demands:
IMMEDIATE prioritization of the Bo gang-rape case and ALL stalled sexual violence cases involving minors
Establishment of specialized Fast-Track Gender Courts with dedicated judges trained in trauma-informed proceedings
Nationwide audit of all stalled rape cases involving minors, with mandatory timelines for resolution
Public accountability measures requiring state counsels to justify any delays in child sexual violence cases
Zero-tolerance policy for “missing” case files, with immediate investigations into evidence tampering
Direct intervention by Chief Justice Kamanda in cases exceeding 12 months without resolution
The Broader Betrayal: A Pattern of Negligence
The Bo case exemplifies a disturbing pattern within Sierra Leone’s justice system. When State Counsel Augustine Sheku, Esq. allows crucial evidence to “disappear” and shows minimal prosecutorial effort, we must ask: Is this incompetence or corruption?
When court observers consistently report a lack of urgency from prosecutors in child rape cases, we must demand: Whose interests are being served?
When a justice system prioritizes procedure over protection and process over people, we must declare: This ends now.
Join the Movement: #JusticeForHer
Today, we launch the #JusticeForHer campaign, not just for the brave young woman in Bo City, but for every girl whose childhood was stolen and whose voice has been silenced by institutional indifference.
We call on every Sierra Leonean and every global ally to:
AMPLIFY this story across all platforms
DEMAND accountability using #JusticeForHer
TAG @JudiciarySecretariat and @MinGenderSL
PRESSURE your representatives to prioritize child protection
REFUSE to accept that “this is just how things are.”
Because justice for one girl is justice for all girls.
A Message to Survivors: You Are Not Alone
To every girl reading this who has suffered in silence, who has been failed by systems meant to protect you: We see you. We believe you. We will not stop fighting for you.
Your trauma is real, your healing matters. Your justice is non-negotiable.
To the young woman in Bo City whose courage has inspired this movement: Your voice has been heard around the world, and you are not forgotten.
The Choice Before Us
On this Day of the African Child, Sierra Leone stands at a crossroads. We can continue to accept a system that treats our daughters as expendable, or we can demand the transformation they deserve.
The children of Soweto died demanding dignity and justice. The least we can do is ensure that Sierra Leone’s children receive both.
The time for empty promises has passed. The time for action is now.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
But justice demanded is justice that will come.
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African Women's R.I.S.E. is committed to fighting for every girl survivor until justice is served.
Join us at #JusticeForHer.
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