SIERRA Leone has begun enforcing its landmark child marriage ban after prosecutors opened the country’s first criminal case under legislation introduced in 2024, with four men accused of arranging the forced marriage of a 17-year-old girl.
The case comes as part of broader debates on women’s rights and legal reform in Africa, where governments are increasingly under pressure to move from passing progressive laws to enforcing them in practice.
Four men are due to appear in court over what authorities describe as the first prosecution under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. Prosecutors allege the defendants include the girl’s father and the man accused of marrying her. Africa Briefing is not identifying the accused because doing so could reveal the identity of the minor involved.
The proceedings mark the first major test of legislation enacted in 2024 to outlaw child marriage, a policy shift that has been closely watched across child protection frameworks across Africa, where enforcement often lags behind legal reform.
According to prosecutors, the alleged offences took place in Grafton on the outskirts of Freetown.
The four defendants face charges including contracting a marriage with a child, consenting to child marriage, and aiding and abetting child marriage. Prosecutors allege the girl’s father facilitated the union and played an active role during the ceremony.
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum prison sentence of 15 years, a fine of about $4,000, or both. Sierra Leone’s law also allows criminal penalties for people who knowingly facilitate or participate in child marriages, including those who attend such ceremonies.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act established one of West Africa’s toughest legal frameworks against child marriage. It criminalises not only those who marry children but also anyone who arranges, supports or enables such unions.
Before the law came into force in 2024, conflicting legislation created legal uncertainty. Under the former Customary Marriage Act, parents could legally consent to the marriage of a minor. The new legislation removed that exception by establishing 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage without exception.
Speaking to the BBC, Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, described the proceedings as a milestone in implementing the country’s child protection reforms.
He said the case represents the first time charges have been brought under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
Sesay explained that previous inconsistencies between statutory and customary laws had complicated prosecutions, but the 2024 legislation created a single legal framework allowing authorities to prosecute anyone involved in arranging or facilitating the marriage of a person under 18.
The attorney general said the prosecution demonstrates the government’s determination to enforce the law through the criminal justice system.
Campaigners welcome landmark prosecution
Women’s rights organizations have welcomed the proceedings, saying they demonstrate that legal reforms are finally being translated into action.
Menisa Sesay, president of the women lawyers’ organization Legal Access through Women Yearning for Equality Rights and Social Justice, told the BBC the prosecution vindicated years of advocacy aimed at strengthening protections for vulnerable girls.
She said bringing the case before the courts should reassure campaigners that the government intends to enforce the legislation consistently.
Activists had previously expressed concern that despite the law’s passage, the absence of prosecutions risked weakening its deterrent effect.
Child marriage remains widespread
Despite the legal reforms, child marriage remains a significant challenge across Sierra Leone.
According to Human Rights Watch, nearly one in three girls in the country marries before reaching the age of 18. The practice is particularly prevalent in rural communities, where some girls reportedly marry as young as 14.
Rights organisations say poverty, limited educational opportunities, gender inequality and entrenched social norms continue to drive early marriages despite stronger legal protections.
Campaigners argue that while prosecutions are an important deterrent, lasting progress will also require sustained investment in girls’ education, community awareness and economic support for vulnerable families.
The outcome of the proceedings is expected to be closely watched by legal experts, human rights organisations and policymakers across West Africa.
Campaigners say the case will help determine whether Sierra Leone’s child marriage ban becomes an effective deterrent or remains largely symbolic. They argue that consistent enforcement—particularly in rural communities where child marriage remains most common—will be essential if the country is to reduce one of the region’s highest rates of child marriage.
Credit: BBC and Africabriefing
