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1 results

  • 8 - Minors before the Law

  • Luisa T. Schneider, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
  • Book:
    Love and Violence in Sierra Leone
    Published online:
    28 January 2025
    Print publication:
    23 January 2025, pp 169-193
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  • Summary

    This chapter explores the enforcement and impact of laws governing violence in relationships involving minors, particularly sexual offences, in Sierra Leone. It reveals the challenges arising from the disconnect between legal regulations and real-life experiences. Sierra Leone’s criminal justice system abstracts complex social and emotional factors, reducing individuals to victim and perpetrator roles. Age, a critical element, differs in interpretation – numerical in the law, social in society. Critics contend that these laws excessively criminalise consensual relationships, resulting in the incarceration of young men and stigmatisation of young women. The laws can also be used to dissolve relationships between affluent young women and economically disadvantaged young men. Moreover, they discourage the reporting of sexual violence cases, fearing retaliation or social stigma. This study advocates a nuanced approach to tackling intricate societal problems, emphasising the need to grasp the practical consequences of laws and policies, and thereby bridge the divide between legal intentions and societal outcomes.