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Isatu is 14 years old. She recently became a mother – as a result of sexual abuse. The offender was her uncle, who is around 30 years older than Isatu. The family always welcomed him with open arms; he was one of them. In fact, this is the case for 85 percent of offences involving the rape or sexual abuse of underage girls – friends of the family, relatives
or close acquaintances turn into offenders.
He threatened her, making it clear that if she did say anything, nobody would believe her anyway. He threatened her, reminding her that he provided for her family. Isatu kept her mouth shut for a long time. But when her bump protruded, and she could no longer hide her pregnancy, she finally opened up. At home, however, nobody wanted to listen, let alone help her. She, the victim, was given the blame, and her own father kicked her out of the family home. Even her mother, who was otherwise always there for her, was too scared to support her. She was just too dependent on her family and too concerned about her other children to help.
Alone, helpless, disowned and broken, Isatu went to the police, who ended up sending her to us. Our driver Fayia picked up the scared young girl from the police station and brought her to our shelter. Her voice shaking, she told Fatmata, our social worker, the whole story – from the start of the abuse to leaving her family. Once we had created a file on the “Isatu case”, Fatmata took Isatu to hospital, where she had a check-up and received a medical report, which was needed for the upcoming court proceedings. When we got back to the shelter, Isatu was given a fresh set of clothes and all the toiletries and sanitary products she required. She entered the room allocated to her and was greeted by a freshly made bed, the first secure place she had seen in what must have felt like an eternity. We don’t know if she actually realised this yet because the girl was too scared and distressed to utter more than just a few words. That evening, she met the other girls for the first time and noticeably started to relax. She enjoyed a warm dinner, probably her first in days, the sound of music and a group of young women who had gone through similar experiences to her. For the first time that day, she finally seemed at peace.
A few months later, Isatu gave birth to a healthy girl, whom she named Aminata. As part of our project, she was fortunately able to have her daughter in a hospital, with Fatmata by her side. She then moved into the HOPE Shelter together with her newborn baby. This marked the start of an emotional time with many responsibilities: She needed to bond with her baby, process events from her past and learn to be “Mummy”, all at the tender age of just 14 years old. After several weeks in the HOPE Shelter, both mother and baby were doing well. Isatu was able to process her traumatic experiences and bond with her child. Several discussions with her birth family enabled her to make peace with her father and be accepted back into the fold. Her mother now helps take care of little Aminata, and Isatu has even returned to secondary school. We supported Isatu throughout her entire journey: processing the trauma, coping with her pregnancy and dealing with the court case. The offender was ultimately found and convicted – with a sentence that will resonate and act as a warning to others. As a result, the world has become a little bit better.