Aruna Turay (Local Journalist in Freetown)
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 16 October 2016
While sceptics and doubters, including senior government ministers are questioning the authenticity of the growing reports and gruesome pictures of young children murdered for ritual purposes in Sierra Leone, what is not in dispute are the accounts of many parents that have spoken to the Sierra Leone Telegraph in Freetown, about their fears and anxieties, as the government remained tight-lipped.
This is an eyewitness account of one of Sierra Leone’s most respected journalists – Aruna Turay, about a young girl who escaped abduction and possible murder in the hands of evil men on a motorbike last night:
I have just witnessed the attempted kidnapping of an eleven years old girl (name withheld) at Fonnah drive, off Koroma Street and College Junction, Goderich.
According to the victim who spoke with this writer (Aruna Turay) at the Emergency hospital at 22:40 pm on Saturday 15th October 2016, she was sent by her elder sister to buy ‘Grun soup’ at about 8:45 pm on the same date at a place opposite Mark Pharmacy on Koroma Street/Main peninsular road junction.
She explained that while walking down the dark road, some 150 metres away from her house, two men on an Okada motorbike stopped by and rushed at her.
She said the men forcefully ripped off her clothes, including her panty, while arguing about whether she was a virgin or not.
She said they pulled out some traditional and evil-looking object from their bag, placed it on her private part and concluded that she was a virgin.
She said the men were about to lift her on to their motorbike, when another Okada rider appeared at the scene and disturbed the evil operation.
The men abandoned the victim and ran away before the saviour Okada man could raise an alarm; and neighbours intervened.
The victim is currently at the Emergency hospital in Freetown, responding to treatment from the wounds and pains she sustained from the evil men.
Police officers from the Adonkia police station are currently at the hospital obtaining statement from the victim, her relatives, eyewitnesses and nurses and doctors of the hospital.
Author (Aruna Turay’s) Note:
Being a very professional and well experienced journalist, I have deliberately refused to post the victim’s photo and also mentioning her name owing to her age.
These kinds of crime are very unfortunate especially when it concern children that are very defenseless to such criminality. But it also saddens me when one is trying to draw a correlation of such criminality to our pre- rebel war as one of the reasons for the long decade war.
I see no reason why someone will think of war in a country that is still suffering from the ravage/consequences of war, a country that has seen the highest UN peace keeping deployment of 17,500. Sierra Leone will never go back to war, majority of our people all-over sierra Leone are politically conscious that no one will use them to fight a losing battle that will eventually see them in the Hague.
The issue of kidnapping, whether children or adult for whatever purpose is a world phenomena. Great Britain in 2000, a 2 years old boy’s torso was found on the river Thames in London. Everyday you hear incident of missing people all-over the world, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and even The Gambia the police are looking for ways to combat such crimes.
Barbarism dos not have a place in our society, let us continue to replace brutality from our minds with democratic process. As the other contributor said, the only way to minimise such crime is public awareness, especially the parents.
Thank you Mr Turay for bringing this inhumane and crminal act to the attention of the world.
It was this kind of babarity and primitive behaviour that gave rise to the civil war in Sierra Leone in 1991.
Once evil men have had a taste of human blood and flesh, and the taking of human life becomes routine, taking up arms and going to war becomes second nature too.
The poor people of this country have become sitting ducks to whom awful things are done by their leaders.
If Sierra Leone continues like this, we should expect a more deadly civil war in the next few years if not sooner.
Dear Aruna Turay,
Thank you for this heart felt story. I am a law enforcement specialist in New York City. I train and investigate occult crimes across the United States. Children need to be protected from ritual killers. Laws need to protect parents and their children from such criminals. Public awareness is our first defense. If I can be of assistance to comment on ritual murders, please contact me.
Thank you for your dedication.