The Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) says it is saddened by the horrifying accounts released to the public recently about how girls are being sexually abused at the internationally acclaimed Non-Governmental Organization, the More Than Me Academy (MTM) in Central Monrovia.
In a press statement issued over the weekend, FeJAL said it is unimaginable that an NGO with humanitarian face could subject beneficiaries of its services; already vulnerable minors, through another dark and miserable path.
“We are calling on government to conduct an immediate, full scale investigation into this report so as to rid the survivors of the nightmare and find a closure to the hurts that they have carried for so many years in public glare in the name of seeking assistance for a better future,” the statement stressed.
The pro female media advocacy group said it is deeply worried about the wellbeing of the girls and called on government to shut down her NGO and revoke a license earlier given her schools under the Liberia Education Advancement Program (LEAP) program to run 20 public schools.
FeJAL is calling on the Government to ensure that she is charged, prosecuted and made to take full responsibility for shattering the lives and future of their victims; especially those allegedly infected by HIV.
“We demand that government goes a step further by investigating how staffers are recruited so as to relieve the entire board and turn the school over to the Ministry of Education.
FeJAL also wants government to ensure that the affected girls and their families receive medical and psychosocial support in order to ease their pains.
“We strongly denounce any form of violence against women and girls and stand in solidarity with our daughters and sisters that were abused,” the statement from FeJAL says.
The Female Journalists Association also wants the Liberian government to put in place tighter mechanisms to monitor charity and not for profit organizations dealing with children.
The investigation conducted by Propublica, a US-based news entity in collaboration with the Time magazine, disclosed that over a dozen minors above 11 were systematically raped one McCintosh Johnson, the man recruited by Katie Meyler, the head of the NGO to run the program which targeted mainly underprivileged girls.
According to the report, the head and board of the NGO were aware of the abuses committed by the Liberian in 2014 and tried frantically to cover them up.
The alleged predator died in pretrial detention of HIV/AIDS at the Monrovia Central Prison after initial revelations by some of his victims prompted the intervention of Liberian police. Two of the victims have tested positive of HIV/AIDS.
Meanwhile, the U.S. charity in question has released a statement on its website, admitting institutional failure and apologizing to victims.
“We are profoundly, deeply sorry,” it said on Saturday, saying it failed those “raped by McIntosh in 2014 and before”.
It offered to support victims; especially those infected by the HIV and pledged to review its mode of operation in order to prevent recurrence of sexual abuse at the charity.