Liberia: Women to Take On Rapists

Women and girls continue to endure the heinous crime of rape

As though the seven years to life sentence for rape convicts – depending on the gravity of the crime, under the 2006 rape law – were not enough, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has suggested that rapists rather be turned over to the women if the court can’t prosecute them (rapists).

The President, herself a woman, did not state how rapists would be dealt with, should they be turned over to the women – what kind of justice would be served by the women who are themselves, victims of the inhumane act of rape?

The Liberian leader has always said that she continues to be greatly troubled by weekly reports of increasing rape cases across the country. This time, the President believes the women can do the job the courts have continued to miserably fail in doing – prosecuting and making rapists to feel the full weight of the law. 

“If the court cannot act fast enough in bringing them to justice, then they must be turned over to the women,” the President suggested Wednesday at a program making the official launch of the  Anti-Rape Campaign held in Monrovia.

With deep emotions expressed on her face, the President blamed the court for falling short in prosecuting rape cases. According to her, rape and sexual violence cases are not being prioritized by the courts.

She then said that those charged with the responsibility to try rape cases have got to do so with the conviction to ensure that perpetrators are made to pay the price of their heinous actions.

“If the judges don’t act, give the rapists to the women, because this is very serious and we must deal with it drastically,” she said.

The President then urged every Liberian work “to bring an end to these heinous crimes.”
“Liberians must do something to stop these children from continually being raped,” President Sirleaf said.

She tasked the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia National Police (LNP) to lead the charge in bringing to book those who take pleasure in raping women and children.

The U.S. Government’s latest human right report on Liberia showed that the government did not always effectively enforce the 2006 rape law.

The 2012 Human Rights Report recently released by the United States stated that rape is illegal but remained a serious and pervasive problem. It stated that judges had the discretion to impose less than the maximum sentence.

The 2006 rape law legally defines rape but does not specifically criminalize spousal rape. The maximum sentence is life imprisonment for first-degree rape and 10 years for second-degree rape, and accused first-degree rapists are not eligible for bail.

In swift response to a rape epidemic, Criminal Court “E” at the Temple of Justice, dedicated to prosecuting rape cases ONLY, was established. Sadly, this Court is limited to Montserrado County. It is inaccessible to a majority of the women dwelling in rural settlements around the rest of the country’s 14 counties.

As mandated by the 2008 Gender and Sexually-Based Violence Bill, the special court for rape and other violence can exercise original jurisdiction over cases of sexual assault including abuse of minors exclusively in Montserrado County, which includes Monrovia.