House invites Gender, Justice, Pharmacy Board over rising rape cases

By Bridgett Milton

With the rising rape cases in the country, the House of Representatives has invited the Ministries of Gender and Justice, including the Liberia Pharmaceutical Board to appear before Plenary today, Thursday, March 17, 2022, to provide updates on the cases of statutory rape across Liberia.

The House took the decision following communication from Montserrado County District#4 Representative Rustonlyn Suakoko Dennis, craving the indulgence of Plenary, the highest decision-making body in the House to invite heads of the three institutions to explain. 

Rep. Dennis said having been endorsed by a unanimous vote of the House of Representatives to have the ministries and entity’s heads appear to abreast the nation regarding the rapid increase of rape against women and especially babies, they have developed a roadmap to be adopted into a resolution for the efficiency and effectiveness in assessing information and outcomes for the crimes of rape and violence against women and children. 

The Montserrado County lawmaker said Resolution 002 from her office is the second most talked-about resolution that cuts across party lines.

She notes that raging statutory rape in the country poses a serious threat to the young generation, especially females.

She adds that based on the potential threat posed by statutory rape, children are being made to suffer.

Recently, a three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 17-year-old neighbor in Soul Clinic community, Paynesville where the victim lives with her grandmother.

According to the grandmother of the victim, she discovered the trousers of the child soaked with blood minutes after she returned from the market and when she asked her granddaughter who did that, the child accused a neighbor that was not identified immediately.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/teen-faces-police-probe-over-rape-of-3-year-old-victim/ Editing by Jonathan Browne