In a troubling incident on July 26, 2024, Sumarine Thompson Fatorma, a prominent human rights activist with Amnesty International Sierra Leone and a member of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), was brutally manhandled by Police Constable (PC) 19887 Mustapha Konneh at the Daru Police Station.

The assault reportedly stemmed from Fatorma addressing the officer simply as “Konneh” instead of “Mr. Konneh,” which infuriated PC Konneh and led to a severe beating, violence, and humiliation inflicted upon Fatorma within the premises of the Complaint Discipline and Internal Investigation Department (CDID) Office in Daru.

According to a reliable source, Fatorma had visited the Daru Police Station to seek bail for a school pupil who was on the verge of writing his Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The situation escalated when Fatorma failed to use the formal address, prompting an immediate and aggressive response from PC Konneh.

Witnesses at the scene reported that Fatorma was subjected to significant physical violence before being rescued by another officer from the CDID. Despite his ordeal, Fatorma’s attempts to file a formal complaint were obstructed as PC Konneh confiscated the police station’s complaint book and left the premises.

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The Local Unit Commander (LUC) of the Daru Police Station responded by promising to escalate the matter to the CDID Office. Fatorma was subsequently issued a medical form, which was duly endorsed after an examination at the Community Health Centre in Daru. Following the medical examination, Fatorma’s case was documented at the CDID Office, and his case file was transferred to the Regional Police Headquarters in Kenema.

The media and human rights activists in the region have expressed outrage over the incident, calling for immediate action from the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) leadership. They demand that PC 19887 Mustapha Konneh be held accountable for his unprofessional and abusive behavior, emphasizing that such conduct undermines the principles of justice and human rights that the police force is supposed to uphold.