By Nasratu Kargbo
Kono District, according to the Rainbo Initiative, is said to have recorded the highest report of physical assault in 2022 among six District centres of Sierra Leone.
Speaking at the launch of the Rainbo Initiative’s Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Survivors’ Data 2022 on the 5th April 2023, Executive Director of Rainbo Initiative Daniel Kettor explained that 65% of people that reported physical assault to them were from Kono.
Highlighting the specifics, he said one hundred and fifty-three (153) persons complained of such assault, which according to him is the highest in all Rainbo District Centres.
Breaking down the data per district, the director explained that Kambia recorded the second highest with 10.7% or twenty-five (25) people. He noted that Kambia was closely followed by Makeni with 10.3% which accounts for twenty-four (24) persons whilst Kenema and Bo recorded 7.3% and 6.4% which is seventeen (17) and fifteen (15) people, respectively.
He stated that Kono was the only district that had persons that are survivors of psychological assault.
The Director also spoke on gang assault, noting that the number has increased. He explained that some of the survivors were assaulted by more than one person, highlighting that in 2021 one hundred and twenty-four(124) persons said they were assaulted by more than one perpetrator, whilst in 2022 they had one hundred and forty-four (144) reports, noting that the number increased by 16.1%.
He added that there were others who reported that they do not know the number of perpetrators, comparing that in 2021 they had nine (9) people whilst in 2022 they had ten (10).
He also highlighted statistics on sexual assault, with the Western Area accounting for the most.
Kettor explained that they asked the victims about the time of sexual assault, and comparing the time in 2021 and 2022, he said in 2021 two hundred and ninety-four (294) stated that they were assaulted in the morning whilst in 2022 it reduced by thirty-six (36), with two hundred and fifty-eight (258) making a -12.2% decrease in 2022.
He added that in 2021 one thousand and eighty-four (1,084) said they were assaulted in the afternoon and nine hundred and fifty-seven (957) in 2022 which amounts to a -11.7% decrease. Kettor stated that in 2022 three hundred and nine (309) people said that they were assaulted at night; whilst in 2021 the number was two hundred and seventy nine (279).
He stated that in 2021 one thousand two hundred and eighty-eight (1,288) reported that they were assaulted in the evening, adding that the number however decreased to one thousand one hundred and fifty-four (1,154) - a -10.4% decrease. Kettor also spoke of an increase of fifteen (15) persons who could not identify when they were assaulted, with twenty-seven (27) in 2022 and twelve (12) in 2021.
Head of Development at the Embassy of Ireland Carol Hannon said data is very important in terms of what it is used for, stressing that it helps understand the situation, but was quick to note that in this case it is not the whole picture because the data constitutes cases that were referred to Rainbo. She said “It’s not the picture across the country”.
Hannon hoped that future data would picture the prevalence of sexual and gender based violence, who it’s affecting most, where it is most prevalent amongst others. She explained that such information can immensely help when developing policies and action to reduce and eliminate GBV.
The six districts where Rainbo has centres are Western Area Urban and Rural, Kenema, Bo, Kono, Makeni and Kambia.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (17/04/23)
