Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

Sierra Leone

Members

DCI-Sierra Leone seeks to advance the protection of the rights and welfare of children in Sierra Leone by disseminating information on child rights, strengthening child protection systems at national and community levels, providing legal counsel and social support to children in conflict with the law and child victims of abuse and neglect in order to facilitate their access to justice, rehabilitation services and family reintegration. Its vision is a country where children’s voices are heard and their rights are protected in both law and practice.

Visit their Facebook page here

Defence for Children International-Sierra Leone

Contact: Abdul Manaff Kemokai, Executive Director
Phone: +232 7662 4060
Address: 4 Old Railway Line, Temgbeh Town, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Email: info@dcisierraleone.org
Website: https://defenceforchildren.org/dci-sierra-leone/

Facts

Sierra Leone is a source and destination country for trafficking of girls and boys into sexual exploitation. Some victims originate from neighbouring countries in West Africa.

According to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the low reporting rate can be explained by families’ reluctance to report; in some cases, they agree to remain silent in exchange for payment.

Resources

ECPAT International
Africa – Summary of Recommendations: Legal Interventions in Africa

Year: 2022

ECPAT International
Sierra Leone – Legal Checklist: Key Legal Interventions to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

Year: 2022

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Stories

News from Sierra Leone

Indicators

Age of Consent

Partial

Age of sexual consent is 18. The national legislation does not provide for a close-in-age exemption.

Analysis of country legislation on age of sexual consent, 2024

Extraterritoriality & Extradition

Partial

Active extraterritoriality is provided only for trafficking related offenses. Passive extraterritoriality is not applicable in any case. Double criminality is not a requirement for extraterritoriality.

Extradition is not applicable to all SEC-related offences and double criminality applies to all cases unless in relation to Commonwealth countries (where the Attorney General’s consent is required to extradite without the double criminality principle)-

SECTT Legal Checklist Sierra Leone, 2020

CSAM Definition

Not Yet Assessed

Background Check Required

No

There are no mandatory legal provisions for criminal background checks nor legislation prohibiting convicted sex offenders to hold positions involving or facilitating contact with children.

SECTT Legal Checklist Sierra Leone, 2020

National Commitments

Partial

Sierra Leona has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the Trafficking Protocol and the ILO Convention No. 182.

Sierra Leone has also ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Sierra Leone has not ratified the OPIC, the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics northe AU Convention on Cyber Securitythe and the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote and Budapest Conventions.

SECTT Legal Checklist Sierra Leone, 2020

Child Advocacy Centers

Not Yet Assessed

SEC Police Unit

Not Yet Assessed

Protection Standards Travel and Tourism

No

There are no child protection standards for the travel and tourism industry in place.

SECTT Legal Checklist Sierra Leone, 2020

Public SEC Case Data

Not Yet Assessed