Salala Women Protest Colleague’s Death

Normal  traffic  on the main  road passing through Salala  District in Bong County came under siege  early  Thursday morning  March 8, 2012 when a group of aggrieved women staged  a peaceful  sit-in on the road,  demanding investigation into the death of one of their colleagues  nearly three months  ago allegedly by   a police  officer identified as  Morris Dorbor.

According  to the  women,  who were seen mourning the death of their friend, the Rebecca Marshall, the  action was  predicated  on the alleged prolonged  delay by the government in probing the matter,  while officer  Dorbor  is said to be moving around  with impunity  since the incident occurred on January  2, 2012.

They claimed since the death of Rebecca Marshall, who was said to be a breast-feeding mother, government, has done nothing to bring the police officer to book despite persistent calls from family of the deceased for a full scale investigation to establish the actual cause of death.

“What is hurting us most  to  stage this sit-in action is that  we gathered information  the  police  officer  Morris  Dorbor is still in the employ of the  Liberia National  Police and  walks around  as free man, while our  sister  is nowhere  to be seen”, lamented   one of the  women.

The women however abandoned their  nearly four hours sit-in that disrupted free flow of  traffic  following intervention by Senator  Henry Yallah and Representative Lester  Paye  of  Bong County  when the both  lawmakers landed into the protest, while enroute to Gbarnga, Bong County.

The two Bong County Lawmakers appealed to the women to remain calm and assured them that all will be done to ensure their demand for speedy investigation into the untimely death of their colleague is brought to the attention of the police central command in Monrovia.

They further assured the women  of their commitment  to engage  the police high command  and the Ministry  of  Justice  to make sure justice is impartially dispensed on the matter so that those linked to  death of  their friend  face the  full weight of the law.

The late Rebecca Marshall was found dead in her bedroom in Salala on January 2 this year after she was severely flogged allegedly by her boyfriend officer Morris Dorbor on   December 24, 2011 during bitter argument over their crumbling relations.

Following the death of Rebecca Marshall, officer Dorbor, who was previously assigned at the Salala Police Detail reportedly escaped and sought re-assignment in Monrovia, while family members of the deceased continue to mourn the death of their daughter with no sign of legal recourse.