Monrovia -Two of three men who tragically ‘gang raped’ a 13-year-old female recently in Maryland County, continue to elude government security forces, as they are said to still be on the run since the alleged commission of the crime.
In July, the minor (name withheld), who later died of excessive bleeding from her private part, was allegedly raped by 42-year-old Geekor Matue; 38-year-old Alphonso Gaysu, and Roland Kwabo, age 18.
Prior to her demise few days following her nightmarish encounter with the alleged rapists, the teenager, who often assisted the three men in fetching them water, accused Geekor, Alphonso and Kwabo of gang-raping her on the fateful night of July 21, 2018.
In January 2006, under the reign of Liberia and Africa first democratically elected female president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the country’s rape law was amended, with several changes being made to the existing Penal Code.
For a country coming out of a prolonged civil crisis that witnessed years of rape and other sexual offenses, the 2006 amendment was viewed by many as a victory, especially within the context of statutory rape becoming non-billable, at the time the new Rape Law was passed.
The Rape Law, which provides for a maximum of life sentences for first degree felony rape and a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for second degree felony rape, most importantly, made gang rape a first degree felony offense, although, in October 2017, the Liberian Senate voted to amend the New Rape Law in an effort to weaken the law by neutralizing the intended purpose of the 2006 amendment that serves as a deterrent to statutory rape.
Howbeit, since news broke that a 13-year-old was gang raped in Maryland, leading to her demise, many persons here have condemned the act, and have called on the government to speedily bring the culprits to justice.
But this seems to be far from happening any time soon as unless Roland Kwabo, two of the men accused of perpetrating the act are yet to be apprehended, prompting many observers to believe that government is stalling in its attempt to arrest the men.
One of such individuals who hold strongly to such view is the vocal Liberian youth and student activist, Martin K. N. Kollie, who believes the 13-year-old rape case is taking a twist of “shielding rape and sheltering rapists.”
Martin, a youth ambassador of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), in a recent communication to the United Nations (UN) Women, drew the attention of that body to the painful death the minor suffered as a result of gang rape, calling on the UN Women for its full involvement and indulgence to vigorously pursue the case to its logical and legal conclusion.
He told UN Women that in the best interest of the deceased child, the group’s full and timely intervention was needed into this painful saga, adding that with such involvement of UN Women, “impunity and injustice could for once be curtailed in bold and pragmatic terms.”
In his communication dated August 9, 2018, and addressed to UN Women Country Director, Ms. Marie Goreth Nizigama, Martin pleaded with the international women group and also entreated its partners, including Liberia’s Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, as well as women advocacy groups, religious bodies and civil society actors to promptly take full charge of the gang-rape case and demand justice without any further delay.
“The culprits of this non-billable offense must not go with impunity because they did not only commit rape but murder as well, Martin said.
Martin quoting community dwellers, said “on July 21, 2018, another girl child was gang-raped in Weajah Town, Barrobo Statutory District, Maryland County,” adding, “the life of this promising child had to end on August 5, 2018, as a result of this uncivilized act. In my opinion, perpetrators of this act must face justice and be made to account for such evil.”
He lamented what he referred to as a deep-rooted culture of impunity, insisting that same must end now without any further negotiation for family interference, out-of-court settlement, and community mediation or arbitration.
“Too often, these archaic measures have undermined justice and left thousands of survivors stigmatized for a lifetime. We cannot allow rape and rapists to keep on winning this war. We must defeat them with every fiber of our being!” He added.
He reminded UN Women Country Director Ms. Nizigama, that the scars of rape and rising violence against women and girls across Liberia are ingrained, adding, “the harsh and stigmatizing impact on survivors is aching and sometimes suicidal.”
