By: Problyn J. Alpha
Police attached to the Bo West Family Support Unit (FSU) are investigating a disturbing case involving the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl and her subsequent forced initiation into the Bondo secret society.
Speaking to this medium, Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police and Regional Coordinator of the FSU South, Mohamed Kanneh, confirmed that the matter was first reported by the survivor’s biological father, who claimed that his daughter had absconded from home without explanation. Following the report, police opened a case file and launched surveillance operations across the city to trace the missing girl.
According to ASP Kanneh, the teenager was later brought to the police station by an elderly woman, giving investigators the opportunity to obtain her statement. The survivor disclosed that she fled her home after her father allegedly threatened to discipline her over an uncompleted assignment. Out of fear, she hid near the Bo City Cemetery, where she reportedly encountered three unidentified men who allegedly raped her.
Bleeding and in severe pain, the girl told police that she sought refuge in a fenced compound at the Tongiema community, only to discover that it was a Bondo secret society bush for women. Instead of receiving help, she was allegedly forced into initiation despite her critical condition. She further claimed that even the head of the Bondo society refused to intervene, insisting that she must be initiated.
The survivor is said to be experiencing intense body pain because of the ordeal.
ASP Kanneh emphasized that while the police are not investigating the Bondo society itself, the inquiry is focused on age of consent violations and harmful practices as outlined in the Child Rights Act 2024. He assured that anyone found culpable, including the father and the head of the Bondo society, will face the full force of the law.