Two Sierra Leonean men have been hauled before a magistrate in Freetown this morning, charged with child marriage offences in a case that British aid groups are already calling a watershed moment for the beleaguered West African state. The accused, named locally as Alimamy Kamara and Mohamed Bangura, stand accused of forcing girls aged 14 and 15 into matrimony. Sources close to the court confirm the men have denied all charges.
This is the first prosecution under Sierra Leone’s 2016 Child Rights Act, a piece of legislation that outlawed child marriage. But for years, the law has gathered dust. Activists say impunity has been the norm, with powerful families and religious leaders effectively exempt from prosecution. That may be about to change.
‘This is a monumental step,’ says Clara Madut, director of the Freetown-based advocacy group Girls Not Brides. ‘We have seen too many victims silenced. Today, the courtroom doors are open.’ British NGO Save the Children was quick to issue a statement, calling the trial ‘a beacon of hope for millions of girls across the region.’
Yet, beneath the headlines, the machinery of resistance grinds on. Defence lawyers have already filed motions to have the case dismissed, arguing the Child Rights Act contradicts customary law, which permits marriage once a girl reaches puberty. One of the defence attorneys, a man named E. T. Kamara, told reporters outside the court: ‘These girls were considered women in their communities. You cannot impose European values on African traditions.’
The prosecution counters that the law is clear. The girls involved were both attending school when their families arranged the marriages in exchange for bride price payments. Police documents show one of the men gave the girl’s father a motorcycle and 5 million leones (about £450). The other allegedly handed over a milking cow and 2 million leones.
‘This is not tradition. This is a transaction,’ says Inspector Joseph Conteh, a lead investigator. ‘We have statements from the girls themselves. They were beaten, locked in rooms, and forced to cook and clean for men old enough to be their fathers.’ The trial is expected to last at least a month.
British aid groups have been pouring money into Sierra Leone’s judicial system for years. The UK’s Foreign Office has provided training for judges, prosecutors, and police officers on handling gender-based violence cases. ‘We have helped build a legal framework. Now we see it working,’ a spokesperson from the British High Commission said.
But critics warn of the danger of turning the trial into a spectacle. ‘One high-profile case does not equal justice for all,’ says Dr. Amina Saccoh, a sociologist at Fourah Bay College. ‘The state must now prove it can enforce the law consistently, not just when international donors are watching.’
Indeed, the timing raises questions. Sierra Leone is still reeling from a series of corruption scandals, with the government under pressure from creditors and the IMF. International legitimacy matters. A successful child marriage prosecution could unlock more aid money.
Still, for the two girls at the centre of the case, the stakes are deeply personal. Both have been placed in a shelter run by UN agencies. One of them, now 16, told investigators: ‘I always wanted to be a nurse. Now I think maybe I can learn again.’
The court will reconvene on Monday. The world is watching.
