Liberia: 14-Yr-Old Girl Bleeds to Death after being Raped in Gbarpolu County
MONROVIA – A fourteen-year-old girl in Gbarpolu County has died as a result of being raped by a 30-year-old man and the lack of a medical facility to attend to the excessive bleeding.
She was raped last Wednesday in Kolah Village. However, her mother discovered that her daughter was bleeding excessively, two days later – Christmas eve.
FPA gathered that the victim, shortly before her demise, identified the alleged rapist as Saah Sumo, 30. The victim reportedly told police that the suspect had threatened to kill her if she ever called his name as the rapist. However, the suspect told police investigators in the county it was rather the victim’s step father who is only identified as Prince who carried out the heinous act.
FPA gathered that the victim, shortly before her demise, identified the alleged rapist as Saah Sumo, 30. The victim reportedly told police that the suspect had threatened to kill her if she ever called his name as the rapist. However, the suspect told police investigators in the county it was rather the victim’s step father who is only identified as Prince who carried out the heinous act.
The step father is yet to be invited by the police for questioning.
The victim was transported at Mona clinic which could not handle her excessive bleeding and condition due to lack of medical supplies and therefore referred her to the Chief Jallah Lone Health Center in Bopolu City which is several hours away from the village.
The victim was transported at Mona clinic which could not handle her excessive bleeding and condition due to lack of medical supplies and therefore referred her to the Chief Jallah Lone Health Center in Bopolu City which is several hours away from the village.
Family sources said the deceased bled for days and had to place a pot under her clothes due to lack of sanitary pads.
Meanwhile, FrontPageAfrica gathered that the only one-stop center for rape and other gender-based violence cases and medical center is located in Bopolu, the county’s capital. The only police station is also understaffed and lacks the logistics to follow cases like rape which often happen in the rural parts of the county.
Ms. Satta Sheriff, Executive Director of the Action for Justice and Human Rights, which has been working to extend the activities of the organization to Gbarpolu County, lamented that the Women and Children Protection Section of the police station, has only one staff, making it difficult to deal with these cases. She lamented that the entire WACPS is operating with one motorbike and in many instances, victims and perpetrators of SGBV are transported from far away distances to LNP Police Detachment in Bopolu city.
She informed FrontPageAfrica that her team had to buy for gasoline for the LNP motorcycle to enable them go back to the village to conduct investigation.
She informed FrontPageAfrica that her team had to buy for gasoline for the LNP motorcycle to enable them go back to the village to conduct investigation.
She also called for an investigation of the victim’s stepfather who has also been linked by the suspect.
The Action for Justice and Human Rights lamented the lack of medical facility that led to the death of the 14-year-old.
“This little girl died because Liberia has refused to prioritize the health and safety of our girls and women. The President has declared rape as a national emergency and allocated millions of dollars in the National Budget but counties like Gbarpolu still lack a common safe home or hospital to treat victims of sexual abuse. The ambulance service is slow, we are old enough to do better. The police presence for women and children in Gbarpolu county is very poor and inadequate. This is unacceptable!!! This country needs to do better,” Ms. Sheriff said.