By Alusine Fullah

A 14-year-old girl is reported to have been sexually abused by her uncle at Masiaka. The incident left the young girl broken as she was deflowered in a horrifying manner by a relative, she had so much respect for. According to a witness, the act was noticed by the victim’s father whose swiftness drew the attention of others that led to the arrest of the perpetrator by police.

According to a source at Masiaka Police Station, the victim was taken to the Port Loko Referral Health Centre and the perpetrator detained by police.

A close source, who has asked for anonymity, told this medium that: “Despite the severity of the offence and the condition of the victim, they want to settle the matter in a family or traditional way. The victim’s father is being pressured by half of the family are-like to have the perpetrator released from police detention.”

He said aside the physical damage in the victim’s body, the stigma has taken a toll on her wellbeing, adding that she has been intermittently ill from time to time since the sad incident occurred.

Talking to the victim’s father on the phone, he has expressed great disappointment over this issue. He muttered: “This is a pure act of wicked violence. Women and girls must be respected at all times. My daughter does not deserve such treatment. She is a very promising young girl…I need sober justice…”

Sexual violence against minors is not new in Sierra Leone. In 2021, the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone Police registered 4,468 cases of violence against children, with almost half of these cases constituting sexual offences, mostly against girls (2,064).

Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)