Girl, 5, left paralysed after having 'her spine crushed' during horrific rape

A five-year-old girl who was left paralysed after being raped in Sierra Leone had her spine crushed during the horrific ordeal.

The girl, whose identity has been kept secret for her own safety, was left paralysed waist down after being raped by a 28-year-old male relative a year ago.

President Julius Maada Bio blasted the sexual violence epidemic blighting the African country, where the crime rate nearly doubled since last year, according to police statistics.

The president was prompted to declare the country's 'rape scourge' a national emergency.

"She may never walk again, and I want vengeance for what has happened," her grandmother told Reuters, sitting next to the girl in her wheelchair in a Freetown medical clinic.

"The man who did this ruined her life and deserves to spend his life in prison."

But months later and there has been little progress on the case. No court date has been set - with the girl's father objecting to it being tried in court.

The President and his wife have been at the Aberdeen Women's Center - where she has been receiving medical care.

Twelve months after the attack she is still unable to walk and has to use a hand-crank wheelchair to get around.

She has suffered bed sores and a broken leg as a result of the attack.

The accused is jailed without bail with no public defender yet named.

The assault was one of many that have gone unpunished in Sierra Leone, where until now sexually-motivated crimes carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and few cases were successfully prosecuted.

Following months of campaigning by activists, the president declared a national emergency and said those convicted of sexual offences against minors would face life in prison.

"Some of our families practise a culture of silence and indifference towards sexual violence, leaving victims even more traumatised," Bio told a crowd at the State House at the start of the year.  "We as a nation must stand up and address this scourge."

According to police statistics, sexual and gender-based violence reports nearly doubled last year to over 8,500, a third of which involved a minor. Activists, including First Lady Fatima Bio, say the actual figures are much higher as most cases are never reported.

Gender-based violence is a traditionally seen as a taboo topic in Sierra Leone. Only 12 years ago parliament passed its first gender equality laws in 46 years of independence, following lobbying efforts by women's rights groups.

Implementation of these policies has been slow and law enforcement agencies have been hampered by inadequate resources, promoting a culture of impunity.

In December, the first lady led a demonstration in the capital to raise awareness of the issue, and has since launched her "Hands Off Our Girls" campaign to increase awareness of violence against girls across West Africa.

The president's declaration of a national emergency is seen as a step in the right direction, but activists such as Fatmata Sorie say progress must continue.

"We still need to think about how services for survivors are not accessible, especially for the poor," said Sorie, who is president of Legal Access through Women Yearning for Equality, Rights and Social Justice (LAWYERS) - an all-female group of barristers who provide pro bono legal services to vulnerable, women and girls.

"We've made a big step today, but this is a very complex issue that will require complex and continuing solutions," she said.