By: Audrey Raymonda John
Marie Thorlley, a traditional sowei (a woman who performs female genital mutilation), appeared before Magistrate Gorgra at the Moyamba Magistrate Court, facing charges for unlawfully subjecting a 13-year-old girl to female genital mutilation (FGM) during her initiation into the Bondo society in Kobanka Village, Ribbi Chiefdom, Moyamba District.
The incident reportedly took place in violation of child protection laws.
Thorlley was arrested and remanded in custody on 31st July 2025 and charged with three counts relating to the unlawful initiation of a minor. She first appeared in court on 4th July and was denied bail. At a follow-up hearing on 12th August, she admitted under oath that she personally initiated the girl with the consent of the child’s grandmother, Hawa Jah.
The child has since been placed in a safe home while the case is pending further legal proceedings. The case has been adjourned to 26th August 2025.
This case follows a landmark ruling by the ECOWAS Court of Justice, just weeks prior, which ordered the Government of Sierra Leone to take concrete legal steps to protect girls from harmful traditional practices, including FGM. The court found that the government’s failure to explicitly outlaw FGM violated regional human rights commitments, particularly those concerning the rights of children and women.
The ECOWAS ruling sends a clear message: laws must be enforced and updated to reflect the dignity and protection owed to every girl in Sierra Leone. This includes amending the Child Rights Act to explicitly outlaw FGM, with no exceptions for tradition or cultural practices.
In contrast, The Gambia recently responded swiftly following the tragic death of a baby girl who had undergone FGM. Authorities moved quickly to prosecute the perpetrators and reaffirmed the country’s legal ban on FGM. Sierra Leone must take similar steps not only to prevent further harm but to show zero tolerance for violations of girls’ rights.
The inactivity in Sierra Leone highlights the urgent need for President Julius Maada Bio to take action. Campaigners are calling on him to withdraw the current draft of the Child Rights Bill and return it to Parliament with clear language banning FGM for children. This should be a non-negotiable clause.
FGM is not a cultural right; it is a form of violence. Traditions that inflict pain, trauma, and long-term health risks on girls have no place in a modern, rights-based democracy.
No government should support customs that violate the physical and psychological well-being of children.
As the Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP), a coalition of over 27 women’s rights organizations, emphasized: “Say YES to Bondo, but NO to FGM.” Bondo, as a cultural space for empowerment and mentorship, can evolve beyond the practice of cutting.
Sierra Leone remains one of the few countries in West Africa without a national law banning FGM. According to UNICEF, an estimated 83% of women and girls in Sierra Leone between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone FGM. The procedure, often performed without anesthesia or proper medical care, can result in lifelong complications such as severe pain, infection, difficulty urinating, menstrual problems, complications in childbirth, and increased risk of newborn deaths.
FGM also causes lasting emotional and psychological trauma, particularly when performed on children who are unable to consent or understand the consequences.
The Moyamba case is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader pattern of systemic failure to protect girls in Sierra Leone. With regional courts, civil society, and now the international community urging action, the government must act.
Silence is complicity. Delay is endorsement. President Bio must seize this moment. The lives, dignity, and futures of Sierra Leonean girls depend on it.