By Janet Sesay
After the launching ceremony of the Hands off Our Girls Campaign by the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Madam Fatima Bio, it seem like the children themselves are the ones going against the campaign.
A fifteen year old child, who is the victim of sexual penetration by a sixteen year old boy, yesterday made her second appearance before Magistrate Abdul Sheriff of Pademba Road Court No.3.
During her appearance, she openly challenged her mother in court, detailing that her mother should tell the court to set the accused free because both of them are deeply in love with each other.
The mother told the Magistrate that her daughter had refused to go to school because she brought the accused to court. She continued that the parents of the accused pleaded with her not to continue with the matter in court.
As a result, she was asking the Magistrate to discharge the matter, and also pleaded with him to caution and warm her daughter to go to school. If she did not, she told the court, she will personally take her to the police for them to put some sense in her.
The accused was charged to court on one count of sexual penetration of a child, which is contrary to section 19 of the Sexual Offence Act No 12 of 2012.The charge sheet states that the accused, between Friday 1st September 2018 and Friday 8th March 2019, at Bright Lane, Cole Farm in Freetown, sexually penetrated a child below the age of eighteen years, to wit fifteen years.
Magistrate Abdul Sheriff later adjourned the matter to 28th May 2019.