Rape or not, it’s a new day in Sierra Salone
Our erstwhile deputy minister of education, Mamoud Tarawally is currently not only fighting for his freedom, but for his life literarily. If you are six feet above ground in Sierra Leone or you are a Sierra Leonean six feet above ground anywhere on the face of this earth, you must have heard of the rape case against our sacked deputy minister of education. Before going further, I must congratulate the president for his swift action in relieving the minister of his position, so that investigations of the complaint against his minister can go forward unhindered.
There are three sides in this case, the accuser, the accused, and the truth. It will be the duty of judge and jury to bring out that truth in this case. So I am asking everyone to consider Mr. Tarawally innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. That may be a tall order in our country today where everything we say or do has a political color. And depending on which color any accused is wearing, he/she is guilty until proven innocent, at least in the court of public opinion.
Whether the alleged “victim” can prove her case or not, I want to thank her for been bold and strong enough to report her alleged rape. For the first time in Sierra Leone, this case, as it has already started will open a discussion on abuse of women in our society. We must remember that rape and abuse of women did not start with Mamoud. All over the world the most under reported violent crime is rape. And these rapes have not been stranger but acquaintance rapes. This is why our women and children have endured in silence sexual abuse, sexual harassment, domestic violence and even incest.
Awkward traditional beliefs in modern society
I don’t know Mamoud’s tribe but it is important for us as Sierra Leoneans to understand our cultural background and how some of us have refused to let go the beliefs of old.It is not nature, but nurture, that molds a man’s character and beliefs. Growing up in Bo, I remember songs like “Nyahan Longo A- Gii Lay Mor” (A woman loves a man that beats her) Nyaha Eh Eh- Tuma mia, (A woman’s NO, is a Yes). A Mende man will never consider marital rape a crime because when he goes to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage, the expression is “Nya-Longo A bi lui- sor- va.” (I want your daughter for sex). These songs and sayings may have been sung and said by Mende people, but they actually represent the majority of our macho beliefs as to how our females should be treated-sex objects.
Mamoud Tarawally Vs. the State of Sierra Leone – Was rape committed?
I must be upfront to inform the reader, that I am not a lawyer. My theory here is solely based on over two decades of working with homeless, domestic abused people and refugees. The legal definition of rape varies from country to country. From the time of Julius Caesar’s Rome, “a person is raped if he/she is forced into sexual contact through verbal coercion, threats, physical restrain and physical violence.” In short rape is committed when there is sexual contact against the will of the victim. Consent cannot be given if the person is impaired, intoxicated, drugged or powerless.
We must remember that rape is not about sex, certainly not about feelings or love or affection. Rape is all about power and dominance. If what I am reading on social media and newspapers are true, the accused minister has already admitted to having sex with his accuser, but says the sex was consensual. So how are the lawyers going to convince the jury that it was a consensual sex or it was rape?
There are few questions the jury must answer to come to the conclusion
- Are both the accuser and the accused old enough to consent? If I am on that jury that answer is a big fat YES!
- Do both have the capacity to consent? Another big fat YES!
- Did both parties agree to partake? Lawyers will fight hard to win the jury on this one.
- Did someone use force or threatened to do so.? If so, then it is nothing but RAPE. Lawyers on both sides will be using legal jargons and law cases to win the jury on this one.
- Did the alleged “victim” at any time say “NO”? It must be remembered though that silence in cases like this does not necessarily mean consent.
I listened to the monologue discussion on this case and I could not have been more disappointed on the attack of this young woman by the so-called supporters of the accused. I must doff my hat off to Dr. Sylvia Blyden for the way she defended this young woman and all women not only of Salon but the world over. How do those tearing this young lady apart explain their action to the people if the alleged “victim” was their daughter or a relative? They don’t, they won’t and and they can’t.
As terrible as this case is for all involved, Sierra Leoneans must use the case as an opportunity to educate the populace about the evil of domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and stalking, which is been perpetrated daily against our women folks.
We must also remember that sexual abuse is not only perpetrated on our women folks. Many young men have also been sexually molested by pedophiles. I am a victim of one such pedophile wearing an Ahmadiyya robe. Unfortunately even our parents do not believe us when these cases are reported. My prayers go to the alleged “victim” as well as the accused.
No matter how this case comes out, there will be no winner. Education is, and will be the only winner.
Cillaty “Wondemoi” Daboh
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