Freetown, Sierra Leone. Four men are in court today in what prosecutors call a landmark case for child marriage in this West African nation. The men face charges under the country's 2007 Child Rights Act, which criminalises marriage for anyone under 18.
Sources close to the investigation say the defendants include a local chief and a religious leader, accused of forcing girls as young as 12 into marriage. The case is being watched closely by human rights groups. 'This is a test of whether the law can protect the most vulnerable,' a UNICEF official in Freetown told me.
Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. Nearly 40% of girls are married before their 18th birthday. The trial continues tomorrow.
