Four men charged with violating child marriages law

For the first time since child marriage was banned in Sierra Leone two years ago, people accused of committing the crime have been brought to trial, reports BBC News. Four men appeared at a High Court on Friday in the capital city, Freetown, charged with the forcible marriage of a 17-year-old girl. Among the accused are the girl's father and her so-called husband. All four men pleaded guilty – but because the alleged groom claimed he had obtained consent from the child's mother for the marriage, relying on the outdated customary Marriage Act, his plea was re-classed by the prosecutor as ‘not guilty’. If convicted, the defendants will be jailed for at least 15 years or fined around $4 000, or both. Their next hearing is due on 2 July. Under the new law, even those who attend the wedding of a child can be arrested and jailed. Sierra Leone is a patriarchal society and it has long been common for a father to give his daughter's hand in marriage forcibly. Despite the fact that 18 is now the minimum age to wed, many instances of underage girls being forced to marry persist in the country, often officiated by local religious figures. Prosecutors say this particular marriage happened in Grafton, in the outskirts of the capital city Freetown. ‘The charges represent a significant milestone in the enforcement of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024’, said Sierra Leone's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay. He confirmed this was the first time that charges had been brought against anyone for offences related to contracting, consenting to or facilitating child marriage.