Sierra Leone recorded an increase in sexual violence

The President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, established the country's first specialized sexual crimes court. This was reported by the African Air Force with reference to a statement by the Minister for Gender and Children's Affairs Manti Taravalli. According to him, the court was created amid an increase in the number of cases of gender and sexual violence. The court in the country's capital, Freetown, began work on Monday, July 27. Similar courts will soon be created throughout the country, Manti added. Recall that in February 2019, the president introduced a state of emergency in connection with the growing number of cases of rape. Earlier in July, the Government had established six support centres for victims of sexual and gender-based violence throughout the country. The work of the officers was to rehabilitate the victims and to assist the police in collecting information. A free 24-hour hotline had also been set up to encourage victims of violence to seek help. According to the Rainbow Initiative, one of the leading organizations supporting victims of violence in Sierra Leone, 1,272 cases of sexual violence were reported in the country between January and May 2020. Rainbow Initiative spokesman Daniel Kettor said in an interview with the Air Force that with a special court, rape hearings will no longer be delayed.