Another Rape Amidst Tough Laws_*
*_By Ranger – 21st June 2020_*
With tough laws to deal with rape and sexual penetration enacted by the Government, coupled with the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ campaign mounted by the First Lady, Madam Fatima Bio and the declaration of an Emergency against Rape by President Bio, this menace has continued unabated.
It could be recalled that last year, His Excellency President Maada Bio joined other First Ladies across Africa to Launch the Hands Off Our Girls campaign, the brain child of his wife, Madam Fatima Bio, at the Bintumani Conference hall, which was followed by a nationwide campaign by the First Gentleman and Lady of this country. During their campaign tour across the country, they raised awareness over the impact of such actions by unscrupulous men and the laws that have been enacted to deal with such cases. Elders and Chiefs were all admonished not to tolerate any out of court settlement or any form of compromise on such cases.
In ensuring the speedy trial of such cases, the Judiciary constitute a separate court to deal with such offenders. Unfortunately, this menace does not seem to go away. Since then, cases of rape have rather sky rocketed than reduce. The recent report by the Sierra Leone Police on cases of rape recorded by the Family Support Unit (FSU), showed a marked increase from 2017. According to the report, there has been constant increase in cases of rape annually since 2017. In 2019, the FSU recorded 3,252 rape cases.
It could be recalled that declaration of the State of Emergency on Rape was as a result of a five year old girl who was raped and is permanently handicapped for life. President Bio’s reaction was that such men should not join the free world and should spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Today, the most recent case involves another five year old girl who was raped and autopsy report show that she was physically assaulted by her assailant and died from the incident.
According to the autopsy report, the little innocent child had a fractured Cervical Vertebrae, Spinal Cord Injury, Anal Dilation, Manual Strangulation etc. With the above discovery from the autopsy, the victim could not have survived.
This dastardly act has received wide condemnation from women’s groups, CSO Activists and campaigners for women’s rights, and most of all in the Mother of the Nation, Madam Fatima Bio, who has declared battle between the rapist and all women organisations, including her office and the Presidency. This act is being seen by many as a complete disregard for life and an affront to the stand of the government and people of Sierra Leone.
As posts on social media intimated that Choithram Hospital refused to treat the child when she was taken there, this medium conducted an in-depth investigation into the allegation. In the company of the Police from the Mountain Division, the Management of Choithram showed video footage of the actions of their Doctors when the victim was brought there.
The footage showed the Doctors doing examination on the victim, during which they discovered that she was already dead when brought to the facility. After several examinations (3 times), the Family members were told to call 117 or take the victim to Connaught Hospital, who have the facility to determine cause of death (i.e. Post Mortem Examination of the victim). A press release issued by the Choithram hospital says that the child was already dead on arrival and they could do nothing to bring her life back.
Sierra Leoneans are calling on the government to take the necessary action to see that the perpetrator faces justice and give closure to the family. Whilst his guilt will not bring back the child, but serious action, by way of punishment for this action will send the signal that all cases of rape will face the same fate.
Meanwhile, our investigation has further revealed that the alleged perpetrator and accomplice have been arrested and are helping the police in their investigations. Enough is Enough.
Five-year-old Khadija was raped by her relative. According to one of the family members, the motorcycle that was transporting Khadija to the hospital involved in a gruesome accident. The motorcycle was transporting Khadija to the Choithram hospital for medical treatment and forensic examination. According to the autopsy report, the cause of death includes spinal injury, fractured wings, rape, manual strangulation (asphyxiation), bitten tongue, vaginal and anal dilatation.
Her father resides in the United States and has made multiple attempts to move Khadija to the United States, but the mother refused to release her daughter because of an ongoing divorce proceeding. According to close sources, Khadija and her elder sister have been raped multiple times by the same pervert. Khadija was a beautiful youngster. Her dream was to become a Medical Doctor in the United States. Five-year-old Khadija is a dual citizen of Sierra Leone and the United States. #Justice4Khadija #SayNoToRape
\Sierra Leone 🇸🇱: A 5 year old allegedly raped to death.
Kadijatu Saccoh a 5 year old US Sierra Leonean national has been allegedly raped to death in Freetown. FirstLady Fatima Jabbe Maada Bio expressed shock and anger on allegations that Choithram hospital initially refused to treat the victim.
“The battle is now between us and the alleged rapist “, she said.
His Excellency the president is very angry and anxiously waiting on all the information from Khadija’s family, Fatima added.
Human rights activists across the country have condemned the act. Photo attached is of the alleged suspect name withheld.
The Autopsy result is out. Kadijah’s cause of death is RAPE.
Kadijah was raped in Freetown, and died afterwards. An important part of us, is no more. Kadijah received her United States Passport last year, and we were looking forward to her smooth transition to the US, where she had hoped to continue her education, and in the future, become a medical Doctor, since that was all, she was talking about.
At age Five, Kadijah was very smart and outspoken, and thus became, a center of attraction among her peers, and she will forever be remembered.
Her passing has once again, reminded us about the downside of Procastination. Most times, we plan so much about the future, without leaving room for that less than a second, terrible circumstance.
As we mourn her passing with faith and pain, we are also expecting #Justice For Kadijah. Until her death, Kadijah was a dual Citizen of Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 and the United States of America 🇺🇸, and we are more than convinced that, both systems cannot fail us at the same time, in getting Justice for her.
Bockarie Bayoh
#JUSTICEFORKADIJAH
Poetry
RAPE: SALONE SHALL SLEEP NO MORE
The cemetery has opened
it’s wound again and the virology
drips with blood O Sierra Leone.
Rancid breath of rape and
the commonweal sleeps no more.
Tetanus eats into a five year
old and the land is defiled.
O you vagabond, today you bruise
the beauty of the soul and your
life is condemned in bitter tongues.
Sleep no more, let the lion rage
to break the banks of keeps and
let the seams of Geography
weaken mournfully. For what
are we if children cannot
be children again?
Tonight the devil sits across
his own conscience flirting
with his stone while we, burdened
by the years of our helplessness,
we stir at the still face of her
innocence and beauty.
O rare gem you look on breathlessly
in portrait, silent and serene
but we feel the bleeding torture
from losing you to losing the
country which made you a childless
child, O Kadijatu we mourn you!
Khadijatu might have ruled
the world but for the beast
lurking in the dark who preyed
on the girl’s innocence. And
now her breath is ceased
forever and ever and Sierra Leone
is made the worse?
(C) Gbanabom Hallowell 2020
