PHOTO: Child’s uncle holding him
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia- The Resident Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Bassa County, Joe S. Barkon has sentenced two quack health practitioners to 15 years imprisonment for admitting to cutting off the penis of a four-year-old boy, in an attempt to perform circumcision.
Recently, little Dehnyway lost his manhood during a flawed circumcision procedure performed on him, which now makes it very difficult for him to urinate and sleep at night.
The Incident happened in District #4, many miles outside Buchanan. And according to medical report, the victim will not be able to reproduce or have sexual intercourse, as his manhood was chopped off completely in the process.
Those sentenced this week to the jail term are Solomon Goffa and his helper, Joseph Reeves, following the final ruling into the case at the Circuit Court in the port city of Buchanan involving the Republic of Liberia versus the defendants.
Judge Barkon ruled that the men be imprisoned for 15 years, after they pleaded guilty to the crime, rendered apology and begged for forgiveness to the victim’s family to set them free.
Circuit Court Judge Joe S. Barkon
The defendants told Police investigators, before being formerly charged and sent to court, that they have not been to any medical school or receive a certificate from health authority to qualify them to practice medicine in Liberia. But over the years, they have instead been providing treatment and other health care delivery services for sick people including pregnant women, children in surrounding villages and towns in the district.
Defendants Solomon Goffa and his helper, Joseph Reeves also mentioned that they have handled more than twenty pregnant “women who gave birth and circumcised” many boys since they started the activity.
But they said that the wrongful circumcision of Dehnyway Weahgon happened as a “result of mistake”.
Judge Barkon ruled that the incident that occurred is a critical offense and it’s against the dignity and value of human; noting that what those men did have caused this child permanent injury and might likely not survive with such a condition or recovered so easily.
He said that the defendants were charged for committing the crime of Aggravated Assault. They were sent to the central prison compound in Upper Buchanan after the sentencing.
The Resident Circuit Judge of Grand Bassa County stated that the two quack health practitioners will remain in prison and serve 15 years each.
According to Theophlus George, uncle of the victim, the child can hardly sit to play with his friends any longer because of the severe pain he sustained for the wrongful circumcision.
Other operations by quacks
Other similar operations by quack medical practitioners have been uncovered in Grand Bassa County.
Recently, the Medical Research Director, Joseph Coleman, Dr. Dorbor Kolubah Kiabah who is Clinical Coordinator and team of the Liberia medical dental Council, turned over to the police a 57- year-old-man identified as Isaac Whergar for allegedly carrying out illegal medical practices in this county.
According to Coleman, Whergar was arrested on several counts to be investigated and forwarded to court shortly.
He named the illegal operations as engaging in the operation drugs store; impersonating as a medical doctor; selling government medicines and possessing surgical medical equipment that does not belong to a drug store.
Speaking to www.newspublictrust.com last Tuesday, Mr. Coleman said that impersonation is a crime under the law.
According to him, Mr. Whergar has been impersonating as a medical doctor for over 25 years exploiting money from the citizens.
He described the impersonation by this 57-year-old man as a bad practice in the medical profession.
But Mr. Isaac Whergar has told Police investigators that he took the government medicines from Monrovia. He also denied impersonating as medical doctor at his drug store in the Baifra community in Buchanan.
The man admitted that he has not renewed his permit from the pharmacy board to allow him operate his drug, yet he confirmed treating sick patients at his drug store.
Meanwhile, Mr. Whergar is undergoing investigation at the police headquarters on the fairgrounds in Buchanan.