Sierra Leone Saturday courts tackle gender-based violence

YOUNG PEOPLE GATHERED ON THE STREETS IN KENEMA, THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN SIERRA LEONE, TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THE RISE OF SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. PHOTO: C.THOMAS/UNDP

Freetown, Sierra Leone—Survivors of sex- and gender-based violence in Sierra Leone are having their day in court, as the judiciary now sits on Saturdays in a critical first step toward clearing a backlog of some 700 cases.

Since their inception in February 2011, the Saturday courts have heard more than 630 cases and processed more than half of them.

To date, 85 cases have been discharged for lack of evidence.

In 53 cases the defendant was convicted by the lower Magistrate Court, which can pass sentences of less than five years. In 183 cases, sufficient evidence was found to commit defendants to trial in the High Court, which has processed 35 of them.

At the Freetown Magistrate Court in the capital city, Magistrate Binneh Kamara recently presided over a case in which the defendant was alleged to have abducted and sexually abused a female minor. He says the Saturday courts are having significant impact.

"Previously this case would have taken three years to pursue, and now it has lasted just three weeks," Magistrate Kamara said.

UNDP has provided logistical support to the courts, and-- with the Sierra Leone Police--has helped train more than 250 police officers to investigate gender-based crimes more effectively and support the prosecution process.

The prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in post-conflict Sierra Leone presents a serious challenge to women’s rights and peace consolidation, and this has been worsened by a perception that the justice system is slow and ineffective.

Before the Saturday courts started, many cases never went to court because of legal delays and survivors' lack of confidence in the legal process.

Few witnesses came forward to testify, claiming they did not have time during the week, or saying they had compromised with the perpetrator.

The Saturday courts are held in in Freetown, and in the northern city of Makeni.

Fast Facts: Rule of Law— building peace through justice and security