PHOTO: Rape suspect Elliot Cooper
By Charles Gbayor, maorethason1997@gmail.com
PLEEBO, Liberia- As rape cases continue to rise, an 11-year-old minor has become the latest victim in the southeastern Maryland County.
Police in Pleebo have charged and sent to court Elliot Cooper, a 44 year-old man for allegedly raping the little girl. And the incident reportedly occurred in a local village in Gbolobo, Pleebo Sodoken District.
Mr. Cooper, who allegedly committed the act recently, was charged with Statutory rape and forwarded to the Pleebo City Magisterial court on Thursday.
Speaking in an interview, the head of the Women and Children Protection Division of the Liberia National Police in Pleebo, D. Tarplah Karneh said that suspect Cooper’s charges are in line with section 14. 70 of the new Penal Code of Liberia.
“Rape is defined under our penal code 14.70 and it is a felony of first degree,” the police charge sheet says.
The parents said suspect Cooper had gone to spend a night with the family of the minor, while everyone was asleep, he managed to get to the victim’s bed and abused her sexually.
Because of the long distance and deplorable roads, family sources said they were unable to rush the victim to the health center for immediate medical treatment, neither were they able to quickly reach the police station for investigation.
Medical report is said to have confirmed that the girl was tempered with and she sustained injury in her private part.
Rape is a nonbailable crime in Liberia and the suspect is in jail.
Last month, a 12-year-old boy was allegedly Sodomized in Maryland County’s capital, Harper by a businessman believed in his late 30s.
Meanwhile, many residents and citizens of Maryland County are actually calling on the Ministry of Gender and children protection, human rights organizations for their intervention and massive awareness in the County.