Access to Justice for Survivors: A Father Supports His Daughter’s Path to Justice

Sierra Leone — Saidu (name changed), 60, is a father living with a visual disability. He enters the One StopCentre, firmly holding the hand of his 15-year-old daughter, a girl living with hearing and speech disabilities. They have come to the centre seeking justice for the young girl, a survivor of sexual violence that occurred three years ago.

“On 19 October 2021, at around 1 a.m., while my daughter Bariatu (name changed) was sleeping in a room on the veranda, she heard repeated knocks on her door. Before she could react, the alleged perpetrator reportedly forced his way into the room and subjected her to sexual violence,” Saidu recounts.

The father reported the case to the police and was subsequently referred to the One Stop Centre in his district. With the centre’s support, the case was brought before the magistrate court, where a sign language interpreter was assigned to facilitate the judicial proceedings.

“This case is unfortunately not an isolated one in the district,” explains Doris E.R.S. Mansaray, Director of the centre. “We receive many cases involving survivors, including sexual abuse, incest and physical violence.”

The rise in sexual and gender-based violence, particularly against very young children, led the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, in collaboration with UN Women and with funding from Irish Aid, to establish One Stop Centres in April 2020 across seven districts covering all regions of the country, in order to strengthen the response to cases of sexual and gender-based violence.

“The centres provide integrated services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including psychosocial support, medical examinations, case documentation and treatment. They also support police statements, provide legal assistance and counselling, and facilitate referrals to specialized care services,” explains Ella Syl-Macfoy, Programme Specialist at UN Women.

Since their establishment, the centres have supported 4,031 cases, including 3,063 cases of sexual abuse, including cases involving children under the age of 18, 306 cases of adult rape, and 166 cases of sexual assault.

With the support of Irish Aid, UN Women supports the operation of the One Stop Centres to improve the quality of services and systems, including through capacity-building in the seven centres located in the districts of Bonthe, Pujehun, Moyamba, Kailahun, Port Loko, Karene and Koinadugu in Sierra Leone.

The One Stop Centres have played a key role in strengthening access to justice for survivors and supporting legal proceedings that have led to the conviction of perpetrators.

“I am relieved by the verdict. The perpetrator was ultimately sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in a correctional facility,” says Saidu. “My daughter is slowly recovering. Each time we come to the centre, we receive psychosocial support that helps her feel better. Today, she has started playing again, both at the centre and at home.”

This story was collected and written by Mohamed Kargbo, Communications Officer in Sierra Leone, as part of the regional campaign Justice in Action: Breaking Barriers in West and Central Africa.