In a landmark case that could reshape the legal landscape for millions of girls, Sierra Leone’s first prosecution under its 2007 child marriage ban has drawn on British legal expertise. The trial, which began this week in Freetown, centres on a 56-year-old man accused of marrying a 14-year-old girl in 2019. Human rights groups have hailed the case as a potential watershed moment in the fight against a practice that affects an estimated 800,000 child brides in the West African nation.
The prosecution is being supported by a team of British barristers and academics, led by Professor Geraldine Van Bueren of Queen Mary University of London. They have provided written briefings on international human rights law and the interpretation of Sierra Leone’s child marriage prohibition. The case has drawn comparisons to the UK’s own struggles with forced marriage, where campaigners say the law has too often been slow to act.
For the woman at the centre of the case, now 17, the trial is a rare chance for justice. She was taken from her village in the remote Kailahun district by her father and married to a man three times her age in exchange for a dowry of cattle and cash. Her husband is accused of repeatedly raping her, a charge he denies. The prosecution argues that under Sierra Leone’s law, marriage to a child under 18 is a criminal act regardless of consent.
But the case has exposed deep divisions. Critics say the British involvement is a form of neo-colonial meddling. "We have our own courts and our own traditions," said local lawyer Amadu Jalloh. "This is not the UK. We do not need white saviours telling us how to treat our children."
Yet the numbers are stark. Sierra Leone has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world: 39% of girls are married before 18, according to UNICEF. The practice is fuelled by poverty, lack of education and weak enforcement of the 2007 ban. "No law has ever been enforced," said Fatima Koroma of the campaign group Girls Not Brides. "This trial is a signal that the law means something."
The British team is acting pro bono, with funding from the British Academy. They have not appeared in court but supplied amicus curiae briefs. The Foreign Office has not commented, but its human rights envoy, Lord Ahmad, has privately expressed support.
For the victim, now in school in Freetown, the trial has been an ordeal. She has faced threats from her family and community. "They say I am bringing shame," she told reporters, her face hidden. "But I want other girls to know they can speak."
The verdict is not expected for weeks. But already, the case has put Sierra Leone at the centre of a global debate: how to end child marriage when tradition and poverty push parents to sell their daughters. British lawyers say their role is not to impose solutions but to offer the tools of international law. "This is Sierra Leone’s moment," said Professor Van Bueren. "They have the law. Now they must use it."
For the 14-year-old who was a bride, justice cannot come soon enough.
