The Multi-sectoral Response to Child Sexual Abuse in Sierra Leone

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) prevalence rates in Africa are said to be as high as 64% in some countries. Sierra Leone has not been left unscathed, as CSA has been
prominent in the news in the past decade, with women’s rights activists demanding law reforms after the death of a five-year-old girl in 2018. The President of Sierra Leone, in a bid to bring sexual violence under control – especially against children –amended the 2012 Sexual Offences Act, introducing new mandates such as a 15-year minimum term and maximum life sentences for sexual violence against children, and jail terms for family and community members who may prevent reporting of sexual
crimes.
This study is one of the first in Sierra Leone to scrutinise the handling of CSA reports by communities, families, and child protection agencies. It does so from the perspectives of mothers and female caregivers, and key stakeholders who have worked on CSA, before and after the introduction of the 2019 Amendment of the Sexual Offences Act. The study also conducts an in-depth analysis of medical reports to decipher patterns in CSA. Using an overarching feminist framework, the study reveals the central role of the subjugation of women and girls in Sierra Leone in the perpetuation of CSA, and the handling of reports. It finds that girls are more likely to report sexual violence, with perpetrators being mostly adult males they know.
Sociocultural and socioeconomic barriers shape CSA responses at all levels of the
reporting network. Importantly, the 2019 Amendment of the Sexual Offences Act is shown to have significant influence on CSA reporting and response. The study’s
findings suggest that financial incentives, co-created education and intervention
strategies with communities, and an inclusive review of the 2019 Sexual Offences Act are essential steps in preventing and adequately responding to CSA.

Date of Award	4 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Marianne Hester (Supervisor) & Afua O Twum-Danso Imoh (Supervisor)