BY SANTIGIE KANDEH SESY
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Sierra Leone
continue to live in the shadows hoping for a day when legal changes will grant
them greater freedom and liberty. However, this change seems distant in the face of entrenched religious beliefs and sentiments in the interreligious councils.
Sierra Leone legal system inherited from the colonial period criminalizes same sex sexual activity under the offences against the persons Acts 1861, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. They faced arrest and arbitrary detention and there have been reports of discrimination and violence against them including assault treats, harassment, family rejection, blackmail and denial of basic rights.
Balla Marrah born on the 24th December 1986 in Mongo Bendugu Falaba district.
He was a practicing Muslim by religion and also a gay. Balla Marrah said to this medium that he was in secondary school when he noticed his sexual attraction towards the female sex gender as well as the male gender. Balla disclosed that he was in secret love relation with his friend Albert Thomas who also was a gay. He said he get sexually aroused whenever Albert held his hands and recalled mentioning Albert was the most handsome boy in their class when they were at Fourah Bay College, having red lips charming smile and sexy eyes.
Balla Marrah was caught having sex with his male partner Albert Thomas at his resident at Fourah Bay community on the 5th September 2014. He was caught by his colleagues students having sexual intercourse with Albert at and unfinished building of which the community people decided to take the laws into their own hands together to physically and violently attacking Balla Marrah and his partner Albert Thomas at the place of seeing during the process Balla Marrah and his partner were severely beaten and taken to the police station and they were tried by the court and later taken to the Pademba road maximum prison. In their second appearance on the way going to court they were fortunate to escape for their lives.
After his successful escape he tried going home and he was approached by his friend who informed him about how members of the community including the police and his family members are planning to eliminate him because he has not only embarrassed and disgraced them but has also flouted the customs and traditions of the land and going against what the family believes in and such was described as the black sheep of the family. The Sierra Leone police are still searching for Balla because he was a gay and he should suffer a jail term at the prison.
This medium also learnt that members of the community were against his life style of which they were pointing fingers at him which nearly led him to commit
suicide.
It was also understood that this irate community members and the police stormed the residence of Balla Marrh house on intelligence they purportedly received that he has returned to his residence which in the actual fact turned out to be false.
Since Balla Marrah left the shore of Sierra Leone is no longer to be found and there is no clue about him.
