Monrovia – Liberia’s Vice President Chief, Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor has condemned the act of torture of two females in Sinoe County which recently went viral on social media.
In a brief statement released Tuesday, VP Howard Taylor emphasized how shocked she was by what she described as a distasteful video footage, in which two females are seen stripped naked and being assaulted by some residents of Sinoe County.
“I am exceedingly shocked by a distasteful video circulating on social media, in which two females were stripped naked and assaulted by some residents of Sinoe County,” VP Howard-Taylor said.
According to report, the females were alleged of indulging in witchcraft, with the report further suggesting that the females were three, and that one died due to severe torture at the hands of their attackers.
The Vice President termed as extremely demeaning for females, regardless of the
allegations, to be paraded in the streets naked as a punitive measure for their actions or inactions.
She stressed that any act of torture against women in Liberia and the world at large is unacceptable and must be discouraged.
The first female Liberian Vice President has meanwhile assured that the Government of Liberia has demonstrated unquestionably the needed political will to bridge the gap of gender inequality to ensure the protection of women’s rights.
VP Howard-Taylor then applauded the Liberia National Police for making some swift arrests of perpetrators, admonishing the police to ensure that those found guilty bear the full weight of the law.
As a global icon for women’s rights and gender equality, VP Howard-Taylor further assured that all efforts would be made to ensure that women are safe, secure and dignified.
She then expressed her empathy with the families of the tortured women, who she lamented will continue to carry the scars of humiliation and public ridicule they were subjected to.
“I want to reaffirm my commitment to the affected women and their families, and I will cross all barriers to ensure that the case is brought to its logical conclusion, sparing no perpetrator, within the confines of the law”, the Liberian Vice President noted.
