Two years after Sierra Leone implemented a full national ban on child marriage, the West African nation is moving forward with its first ever criminal trial against individuals accused of violating the landmark law, marking a watershed moment for gender equality and the protection of minor girls’ rights.
Four men are scheduled to appear before a court to face charges linked to the forced marriage of a 17-year-old girl. The accused group includes the victim’s own father and the man who purportedly married her; their identities are being withheld by media outlets to safeguard the underage survivor’s privacy and safety.
If found guilty, the four defendants face a minimum prison sentence of 15 years, a fine of roughly $4,000, or both penalties combined. Under the 2024 Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, even guests and organizers who attend an underage wedding can be arrested and prosecuted for their involvement.
Sierra Leone’s deeply patriarchal cultural norms have normalized forced child marriage for generations, with many families routinely coercing young daughters into early unions. Though the law now sets 18 as the legal minimum age of marriage, child marriage cases remain widespread across the country, with many such ceremonies still being officiated by local religious leaders. This specific forced marriage was found to have taken place in Grafton, a suburban community on the outskirts of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.
Alpha Sesay, Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, confirmed in an interview with the BBC that these charges represent an unprecedented turning point for the enforcement of the 2024 child marriage ban. “This marks the first time that any individual has faced criminal charges for entering into, consenting to, or facilitating a child marriage in our country,” Sesay explained.
Prior to the 2024 legal reform, Sierra Leone had conflicting national legislation that left a harmful loophole: the Customary Marriage Act still permitted parents to consent to marriage for underage daughters. Two years ago, that outdated customary law was formally struck from the books, establishing a clear legal framework that allows authorities to prosecute any person who participates in the marriage of anyone below the age of 18.
In addition to the charges against the father and the purported husband, the two other accused face counts of contracting child marriage, consenting to the union, and aiding and abetting the illegal ceremony. Court documents detail that the victim’s father actively facilitated the union, taking key steps during the wedding ceremony to ensure the illegal marriage was completed successfully.
Gender equality and women’s rights activists across the country have celebrated the unprecedented legal action, framing it as proof that years of advocacy for legal reform are delivering tangible results. Menisa Sesay, president of Legal Access through Women Yearning for Equality Rights and Social Justice — an all-female advocacy group made up of legal professionals — told the BBC she felt “extremely happy” about the milestone.
Sesay noted that the trial confirms the legal reforms that activists spent years campaigning for are finally being put into practice, validating the movement’s core mission to protect vulnerable women and girls from exploitation.
Recent data from Human Rights Watch underscores the scale of the crisis that remains: an estimated 30% of all girls in Sierra Leone are married before they turn 18, and in remote rural regions, some brides are as young as 14. For years, activists warned that even after the ban was passed, weak enforcement meant perpetrators faced no consequences for violating the law. But Menisa Sesay says the new charges are a hopeful sign for the future. “The charges brought against the four… is reassuring that there is light at the end of the tunnel for women and girls in Sierra Leone,” she said.