PHOTO: Mohammed Konneh behind bars
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Reports from Grand Cape Mount County in western Liberia say three men are currently on the run for allegedly gang raping a 20-year-old woman, while in another case, a man has been arrested and jailed for raping a 14-year-old girl.
This is the latest in an upsurge of rape and gender based violence across Liberia, a country where rape is a non-bailable crime under the law.
The teenage was recently raped by 30-year-old Mohammed Konneh, also known as “Savanna” in BO Waterside on the border with neigbouring Sierra Leone.
This incident is said to have occurred on May 11, 2021.
Suspect Konneh was arrested by Liberia National Police (LNP) Women and Children Protection Service and placed behind bars at Tienii police station.
The suspect admitted raping the teenage girl. He said that he had sex with her on two different times in his bedroom.
But he has asked the parents of the survivor and the Liberian government to forgive him.
Suspect Konneh has now been charged with Statutory Rape in violation of Chapter 14 section 14.70 of the New Penal law of the Republic of Liberia.
3 men on the run after gang raping woman
In another development, three men have escaped after allegedly gang raping a woman, age 20. The incident occurred in Tewor District On May 23, 2021 between 3-4 Am GMT.
According to the report gathered, the gang rape occurred when a feast program was ongoing in the town where everyone all was dancing under the town hall when those suspects mixed a liquor with milk and gave it to the victim to drink.
The gang rape survivor
Not knowing what was it, She took it from them and drunk it, when she started feeling tipsy and getting weak, she was forcefully taken to one of the men’s room where she was undressed, covered her mouth with clothe, sexually abusing her one at a time using both their penis and fingers.
During the early morning hours, the woman began shouting for help, but no one could come to rescue her due to loud music blaring from the room where the sexual assault was taking place.
The three men who were allegedly involved in the gang rape are Munamah Sonii, alias Choko, Mohammed Massaquoi and another simply identified as Varney.
They are all adults and they all ran away after carrying out the crime.
According to the Town Chief of Mambo, someone helped them to escape, before Police could arrive on the scene, but the individual was arrested and is placed behind bars.
Meanwhile, the survivor was sent to a local Health center for treatment but those responsible for GBV issues were absent when she arrived. She was instead expected to visit the health center yesterday, May 24, 2021.