Even though rape is a non-bailable offence, several rape cases in Liberia continue to get bailed since the law was passed, for instance, the 42-year-old perpetrator in the 2018 case involving the raping of a nine months old child in Bahn, Nimba County, was let out on bail. They are the ones who have disappointed victims and their families the most by their repeated failure to enforce existing rape laws, and this failure is causing the number of rape cases to skyrocket. From January 2020 to now, Liberia has actually recorded more than a thousand cases of rape, this astronomical spike in the number of rape cases would definitely not be possible if those responsible for these heinous crimes were paying the high price outlined in the revised penal law of Liberia. The scourge of rape in Liberia can definitely be mitigated through a synchronized institutional framework. Towards this end, FOHRD calls on the Liberian Government to establish an Independent Anti-rape Commission, which will centrally focus on all issues concerning rape.

Source: Front Page Africa September 25, 2020 01:30 UTC