The girl, whose identity has been kept secret for her own safety, was left paralysed waist down after being raped by a 28-year-old male relative a year ago. President Julius Maada Bio blasted the sexual violence epidemic blighting the African country, where the crime rate nearly doubled since last year, according to police statistics. (Image: REUTERS)The assault was one of many that have gone unpunished in Sierra Leone, where until now sexually-motivated crimes carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and few cases were successfully prosecuted. "Some of our families practise a culture of silence and indifference towards sexual violence, leaving victims even more traumatised," Bio told a crowd at the State House at the start of the year. Gender-based violence is a traditionally seen as a taboo topic in Sierra Leone.

Source: Daily Mirror June 09, 2019 04:41 UTC