Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq., has called for stronger coordination among institutions involved in addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Sierra Leone.
Speaking at the National Technical Joint Monitoring Session in Freetown, Sesay said justice for survivors can only be achieved through an effective and coordinated response system involving all relevant institutions.
He described a monitoring report reviewed during the meeting as an important document that highlights challenges affecting survivors, including staffing shortages, confidentiality concerns, limited access to services, weak institutional coordination, and delays in the justice process.
The Attorney General acknowledged progress made in recent years through legal reforms, the establishment of Family Support Units, one-stop centres, and survivor support programmes. However, he stressed that laws and institutions alone are not enough to guarantee justice.
According to him, access to justice is a process that begins when a survivor reports an incident and continues through investigation, medical examination, legal review, prosecution, and adjudication.
He urged stakeholders to use the meeting to identify practical and sustainable solutions that will improve service delivery and strengthen support for survivors.
Sesay also reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Justice to work closely with the judiciary, police, health sector, development partners, and civil society organizations to enhance the national response to gender-based violence.
The meeting brought together government institutions, development partners, and civil society groups to assess progress and discuss ways of improving the country’s response to sexual and gender-based violence.
