Annotation:
This report addresses the body of evidence pertaining to sexual violence recently excluded by Trial Chamber I of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in the Civilian Defense Force (CDF) Case. Following a series of rulings by the Chamber, all considerations of serious allegations of systematic sexual violence on the part of one of the main parties to the Sierra Leone conflict have been excluded by the Special Court. Based on a court observer's notes, this report charts the history of the exclusion of sexual violence evidence in the trial of three members of the CDF. It explores how an initial oversight by the Prosecution led to the Trial Chamber's decision to exclude all testimony tainted by sexual violence. The report concludes that this decision undermines the Special Court's ability to effectively deal with sexual violence during the conflict, and prevents several witnesses from being able to tell their story.