National Press Release on the increased number of Rape cases and Child Street selling in Liberia.
April 25, 2018
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, Children
and young people from across the 15 political subdivisions of Liberia, fellow
Liberians, one and all, in due fulfilment of my role as a national Child
Rights Advocate and Former Speaker of the Liberian Children’s Parliament I have
come to renew national call for parents and government along with its partners
to strengthen efforts in ensuring the survival, protection, development and
participation of all Liberian children. The best interest and overall welfare
of every Liberian child remains my foremost agenda.
I am
troubled by the increase number of violation against Children around the
Country. It has become an unquestionable reality that Liberian children are at
high risk due to unsafe environments. On the streets and every corner of
Liberia child Street selling has increased with many Liberian children as
breadwinners for families as they risk their lives everyday between cars to
sell petit commodities, cold water, and candy. Less has been done to protect
Liberian Children when indeed our laws prohibits Child labour and violence
against children. The Liberian Children’s Law states that: ‘’Being a child is a time for special care and help. Every child
has the right to live a good life that will make her or him grow up well. The
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare shall work with other government
ministries and county leaders, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to
make sure the living conditions of children are safe, healthy, clean and good
for them to grow.’’ The Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the
child of 1924 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959 further states
that "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity,
needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection,
before as well as after birth",. I encourage government to
engender a concrete framework that will take children from the streets.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the
press, over the past few years the number of Sexual Gender Based Violence
(SGBV) cases have increased with children being the most victims. According to
2017 SGBV report from the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection accounts
for One thousand six hundred eighty-five
(1,685) cases of Sexual Gender Based Violence, of the total number of SGBV
cases reported about One thousand eighty-two (1,082) 64.2% were children under the ages of 0-17years, which
accounted for a significant portion of the rape figure reported in 2017. In
2016 1,413 SGBV cases were reported with
about 1,555 SGBV cases being
reported in 2015 respectively. These statistics are too alarming and I hope
that it also provoke state-actors and policy-makers to push further in the
interest of Liberian children. With the current increase in the wave of Rape
cases in Liberia, I am seriously dishearten about the mass atrocities that are
being continuously perpetrated against Liberian Children; no child
must be allow to face such barbaric act.
The government of Liberia through the Ministry of Gender, Children and
Social Protection and the Ministry of Justice must go beyond talking and bring
Rape perpetrators to justice. We as a nation must take practical steps to
ensure no child is abuse or left behind.
I condemn in the strongest term the alleged
Rape case of an eleven (11) year-old girl involving Mr. Momodu Sirleaf a staff
of Ministry of Health. I hereby call on the Ministry of Justice to ensure that
Justice is serve to the little victim. Rape is a crime and perpetrators of Rape
must be treated as one.
I am completely disappointed in the manner
and form the Morais Waylee case was handled by the Liberian National Police and
the Judiciary system of Liberia, today 13 year-old Raggie is yet to be found. What
a shame, when we as a nation should be protecting Children, we are busy endangering
their lives by being selective in the fights against Rape. I am intensely
saddened by recent report of the dismissal of Morias Waylee case from the City
Court. Morias Waylee is no different from all the alleged Rapists who cases
have gone unresolved; it is my hope that 13 year-old Raggie will one day be found.
Justice may be delay, it is just a matter of time it would never be denied.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, the Ministry of Justice owe us
(the public) an explanation on the indefinite release of Varney Jersey
allegedly accused of statutory raped (first degree felony) who was released on
medical bail in recent weeks; what is the surety and criminal bond of Varney
Jersey? Let Justice be done to all! There
are many other men merely accused of rape that are behind bars but has never
gotten the chance to go through court trail due to the over-crowdedness of
cases on the docket of Criminal Court E and Liberia slow judiciary proceedings
for rape cases. The Government of
Liberia and its institutions must seek to improve the judiciary system of
Liberia. The Government of Liberia must expand the jurisdiction of Criminal
Court E to other Counties magisterial courts and increase the number of Judges
at Criminal Court E to further fast track Rape cases around the Country. The Judiciary System must be strengthen to
ensure speedy and fair trial for both rape victims and perpetrators of Rape.
As we know, On Tuesday October 3, 2017 the
Liberian Senate doing its 60th day sitting of the 6th
session voted to amend the New Rape law of Liberia. The amendment recommended
that an accused person on bail for the commission of the crime of Rape should
report to the court on a monthly basis. That day was the saddest day of my life
not only because of the Liberian senate decision but I feared for the lives of the
many Children as victims of rape whom are yet to receive Justice like the late Ma-musu
Fofana, Mamie Vick, 13 year-old Raggie who is yet to be found, Angel Togbah and
many other Children and women agonized by sexual violence. Today, the
statistics of Sexual Gender Based Violence cases have proven that Children are
most victims of rape, we must take straighter measures to bring to justice who
be perpetrators.
We as a nation have gone too far in the fight
against Rape, we cannot afford to lose focus when the fight against Rape itself
has just began.
Fellow Liberians, our problem in Liberia has
never been the law it has been the lack of implementation and the
ineffectiveness of the Judiciary system of Liberia. The
Failure of our government to improve the judiciary
legal system has led to the amendment of the New Rape Law by the Liberian
senate. Amending the Rape law by the Liberian senate was a complete weakness on
the part of our lawmakers to fight against Rape, it proved nothing but shared selfishness
of the senate that has the propensity to cripple our fight for a free and fair
rape trial in Liberia.
Instead of impeding the rape law, we must
work to improve our judiciary system, expand the jurisdiction of Criminal court
E and increase the number of judges at Criminal Court E.
It is my hope that the
government will ensure that the Amendment of the New Rape Law is in the best
interest of Liberian Children. We must hunt and search every length of Liberia
to ensure perpetrators pay for their gruesome actions against children. Let it
be made clear and known today that the children of Liberia are the only
treasures we have and together we must protect them. I stand against the recent
wave of mysterious deaths of children and Liberians. The government must take
action.
Thank you for coming as we look forward to all
actors working in the best interest of all Liberian children.
Signed & Approved:
Satta F. Sheriff
National Child Rights Advocate
Former Speaker- Liberia Children’s Parliament
Executive Director Youth in Action for Peace
and Empowerment (YAPE)
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