Supporting 350 Female Detainees in Sierra Leone

“Justice delayed is justice denied” is a story for many Sierra Leonean women convicted of a crime, having to wait very long periods for justice.  AdvocAid offers legal empowerment services, supporting these women to become aware of their legal rights, and reducing their vulnerability. This is a case study of the kind of support AdvocAid provides to women that come into contact with the law, thanks to individuals like you.

In late 2020, Aisha - a 64-year-old woman - was arrested and charged with murder. Her first interaction with AdvocAid’s paralegal in Makeni, was when she was performing police station monitoring and giving legal education to the women that were detained. Aisha informed the paralegal that she was arrested for a crime she did not commit. 

According to Aisha, she and the deceased had had a physical dispute three months earlier, however it had been settled by the chief and other community elders. Since then, they had had a good relationship, and had been together just a few days before the death. 

AdvocAid’s paralegal interacted with the police officers so that she could verify Aisha’s police statement - this is because oftentimes the women we work with sign police statements whose details they are not aware of. The paralegal also educated Aisha on her rights as a detainee, amd informed her about the pathways to prison, so that she could understand some of the reasons women end up in prison in Sierra Leone. 

Our paralegal referred Aisha’s case to one of AdvocAid’s Duty Counsels and also made sure our social worker was aware of her and her needs. The AdvocAid Duty Counsel represented Aisha at the Magistrates Court, and at the High Court, and it was from here that the case was later reduced to manslaughter.  Our social worker supported Aisha, providing her with counselling services and psychosocial support services - including welfare support, while in detention and throughout the court sittings. 

At every court sitting, the AdvocAid paralegal and social worker attended court with Aisha - to not only monitor court proceedings, but to also give her the emotional support needed, as her family members were not present. Two years later, in 2022, Aisha was acquitted and discharged, because the Prosecution failed to produce their witnesses in court. As the matter had been in the High Court since 2020, the Judge thought it fit to give Aisha her freedom.

It is because of the financial support that each one of you gives, that AdvocAid is able to provide these holistic legal services to incarcerated women. Making sure they’re not only represented, but informed about what is happening, and holding their hand through the process. Making sure justice is served. So we thank you, for your continued support of the work AdvocAid does.

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