• Latest
  • Trending
Sierra Leone declares emergency over rape and sexual assault

Sierra Leone declares emergency over rape and sexual assault

February 8, 2019
Bryan Acheampong’s impact on Ghana’s entertainment sector

Bryan Acheampong’s impact on Ghana’s entertainment sector

May 30, 2025
Election 2028: We win with discipline, data and direction- Eugene Boakye Antwi to NPP

Election 2028: We win with discipline, data and direction- Eugene Boakye Antwi to NPP

May 30, 2025
Annoh-Dompreh urges ministers to prioritize parliamentary duties

Annoh-Dompreh urges ministers to prioritize parliamentary duties

May 30, 2025
Upper West Regional Minister inaugurates taskforce to prosecute drug dealers and abusers

Upper West Regional Minister inaugurates taskforce to prosecute drug dealers and abusers

May 30, 2025
Funding would not be an excuse- Mahama assures Bono Region of revival of Road infrastructure

 Funding would not be an excuse – Mahama assures Bono Region of revival of Road infrastructure

May 30, 2025
Juaboso Police foil armed robbery, arrest one suspect at Mining Site

Juaboso Police foil armed robbery, arrest one suspect at Mining Site

May 30, 2025
North Dayi MP calls for ban on flavored tobacco

North Dayi MP calls for ban on flavored tobacco

May 30, 2025
I’ll provide Afenyo-Markin with a chair for future protests - Osagyefo Agyeman Badu II jabs Minority leader

I’ll provide Afenyo-Markin with a chair for future protests – Osagyefo Agyeman Badu II jabs Minority leader

May 30, 2025
Flood death toll rises to 117 in Nigeria's Niger state, emergency official says

Flood death toll rises to 117 in Nigeria’s Niger state, emergency official says

May 30, 2025
Adongo ridicules Minority over EOCO protest withdrawal

Adongo ridicules Minority over EOCO protest withdrawal

May 30, 2025
Stop the politicization of cedi gain- Eugene Antwi Boakye

Stop the politicization of cedi gain – Eugene Antwi Boakye

May 30, 2025
WATCH: Brave fuel attendants save the day as fuel tanker catches fire

WATCH: Brave fuel attendants save the day as fuel tanker catches fire

May 30, 2025
Happy Ghana
Advertisement
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
    • International Sports
    • Afcon2017
    • Afcon2019
    • Corporate Knockout
    • U17 World Cup
    • World Cup 2018
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Bizarre
  • Feature
  • More
    • Technology
    • Opinion
    • Lifestyle
  • Listen Live
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
    • International Sports
    • Afcon2017
    • Afcon2019
    • Corporate Knockout
    • U17 World Cup
    • World Cup 2018
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Bizarre
  • Feature
  • More
    • Technology
    • Opinion
    • Lifestyle
  • Listen Live
No Result
View All Result
Happy Ghana
No Result
View All Result
Home News Africa

Sierra Leone declares emergency over rape and sexual assault

in Africa
Sierra Leone declares emergency over rape and sexual assault
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Whatsapp

Sierra Leone has declared a national emergency over sexual and gender-based violence after recorded cases of rape and assault doubled over the last year.

President Julius Maada Bio announced the emergency on Thursday amid a public outcry over the issue, triggered by a series of high-profile attacks.

Mr Bio said attacks on minors – which account for a third of all cases – would be punished with a life sentence.

Activists say many assaults are not punished under current laws.

More than 8,500 cases were recorded last year – a rise of nearly 4,000 on the figure from the previous year – in a country of 7.5 million people.

The factors behind the spike are not yet clear.

What did the president say?

Mr. Bio declared the emergency at State House in Freetown after hearing the testimony of an Ebola survivor who had repeatedly been raped.

“With immediate effect, sexual penetration of minors is punishable by life imprisonment,” he said, visibly moved by the survivor’s account.

He also announced the formation of a dedicated police division to investigate reports of sexual violence, as well as a special magistrates’ court that would fast-track cases.

The BBC’s Umaru Fofana in Freetown says the declaration of an emergency will mean state resources are more readily diverted to tackling sexual violence.

He added that the move allows the president to bypass parliament, which would normally be required to approve changes to the law.

What are people saying in Sierra Leone?

Anger has been mounting over sexual violence against women following a series of high-profile cases, including that of a five-year-old girl left partially paralysed after an alleged assault by her uncle.

Activists say few cases are reported and successfully prosecuted. The recommended sentence for rape – of between five and 15 years’ imprisonment – is often not imposed.

Last year, a 56-year-old man who raped a six-year-old girl was sentenced to a year in prison.

Fatmata Sorie, the president of an all-female lawyers group that works with victims of sexual violence, told the BBC that the president’s declaration shines “a very bright light on the issue”.

However, she cautioned that the data on sexual violence was incomplete as it had only been gathered from a handful of centres across the country.

“We want the numbers to come down, [and] we want a situation where the data is nationwide data, chiefdom-based data,” she said.

Rape and other forms of sexual violence were widespread during Sierra Leone’s civil war between 1991 and 2002.

Source: BBC

Subscribe to receive notification everytime a new post is published. We promise to be discrete.

Unsubscribe
Previous Post

Richard Commey cannot run away from me – Emmanuel ‘Gameboy’ Tagoe

Next Post

YFM Kumasi ranked 2nd English Station in Ashanti Region

Next Post
YFM Kumasi ranked 2nd English Station in Ashanti Region

YFM Kumasi ranked 2nd English Station in Ashanti Region

Search

No Result
View All Result

Listen Live

BBC Match of the Day Africa

Happy Ghana

Recent News

  • Bryan Acheampong’s impact on Ghana’s entertainment sector
  • Election 2028: We win with discipline, data and direction- Eugene Boakye Antwi to NPP
  • Annoh-Dompreh urges ministers to prioritize parliamentary duties
  • About
  • advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Happy FM – Powered by Ghana’s leading radio network. Designed with passion by Global Media Alliance.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
    • International Sports
    • Afcon2017
    • Afcon2019
    • Corporate Knockout
    • U17 World Cup
    • World Cup 2018
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Bizarre
  • Feature
  • More
    • Technology
    • Opinion
    • Lifestyle
  • Listen Live

© 2025 Happy FM – Powered by Ghana’s leading radio network. Designed with passion by Global Media Alliance.