Child sex abuse within the family is extremely prevalent yet vastly
underreported in sub-Saharan Africa. Until recently, state responses were
deeply inadequate, characterized by outdated laws and legal procedures
and scarce mental health services. In the past decade, however, many African
countries have undertaken significant efforts, often informed by international
law, to change their legal and mental health systems in order to
respond more effectively to incest and other forms of child sex abuse. After
discussing the risk factors for incest and the ways in which state responses
have fallen short, this Article describes and evaluates a variety of legal and
mental health reforms that African countries have adopted in recent years.
While recognizing the importance of these reforms, the Article argues that
these efforts must be strengthened and broadened. Efforts to bring offenders
to justice and provide treatment for child victims must form part of a
multidimensional approach that involves state and non-state actors, different
professions, and the community at large, as well as include a focus on
prevention. The Article concludes by setting forth some guidelines to
inform the development of preventive measures and a more comprehensive
and effective response to intra-familial child sex abuse.