In the wake of increase rape cases in Liberia, the Government of Liberia has come under serious criticism for demonstrating weakness and poor response in curtailing the act. The latest criticism comes after recent reports and picture circulating on social media about a three-year-old child who was allegedly raped by an 18-year-old man in Gbarpolu County, inflicting wounds on the victim.
Speaking to this paper in an exclusive interview recently, an advocate at Youth Alliance Leadership for Development in Africa or YALDA Ms. Lisa T. Cooper blasted government for its failure to institute touch measures in curtailing the act.
“For me anyone being accused and found guilty should be given a death penalty; I think with this punishment, we will have zero cases on rape matter in this country”, she said.
According to her, whenever a minor is sexually molested, “it boils my blood and puts me in the mood to take the life of that perpetrator, because the only thing that can be done is to put them in prison where government will say they are conducting investigation.”
Ms Cooper said if the government is truly concerned about the future of the country particularly, young people, it must rise to institute tangible measures, because whenever a child gets rape the stigma lives with the victim up to adulthood.
She said mere incarceration of rapists, pending trial is something that encourages perpetrators to get more involved in carrying on the act, saying, “we should not send them to prison whenever they commit such act, but rather hang them.”
Commenting on activities of her organization, she said YALDA is an international organization that began at Stanford University in the United States, and has branches in various African countries with headquarters in Uganda.
She added explained that group of young people came together and decided to look at issues affecting the African continent
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Ms Cooper noted that YALDA’s focus is to improve wellbeing of university students, who are passionate about making a change in society, including speaking against sexual and gender based violence, something, she lamented is undermining the growth of Africa.
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By Lewis S. Teh–Editing by Jonathan Browne
