Abdul Rahman Kamara

Research Title From Child Victims to Adult Survivors: A Criminological Analysis of Transitional Justice and Post-War Recovery in Sierra Leone Profile Abdul R. Kamara is a doctoral researcher in Criminology at the University of Leicester. His research examines the long-term impacts of transitional justice mechanisms on individuals who experienced the Sierra Leone civil war as children and are now adult survivors. The project critically explores how justice processes implemented after the war, including international and hybrid tribunals addressed, represented, or excluded the perspectives of victims, particularly those who were minors during the conflict. His research adopts a qualitative, retrospective case study approach and draws on semi-structured interviews and focus groups with survivors and community stakeholders. The study aims to contribute to criminological debates on victimhood, post-conflict reconstruction, and the effectiveness of internationally driven justice mechanisms in addressing long-term survivor needs. Abdul brings extensive professional and lived experience to his research. He holds an MA in Conflict Resolution from the University of Bradford and an MPhil focusing on war crimes and transitional justice in Sierra Leone. He has more than 17 years of experience working with victims, communities, and civil society organisations in post-conflict settings, including involvement in peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives across Sierra Leone. His broader research interests include transitional justice, victimology, post-conflict recovery, restorative justice, and the role of international criminal law in rebuilding societies after conflict. Research Interests:

• Transitional Justice
• Victimology
• Post-conflict reconstruction
• International criminal justice
• Peacebuilding and reconciliation
• Life-course criminology
• Sierra Leone civil war and post-war recovery

Contact Department of Criminology University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom