By Tokpa Tarnue- tarnue82@gmail.com
Kolahun, Liberia- A 33-year-old man identified as Momoh Kennedy has been arrested and charged for allegedly raping a 3-year-old child in Fangoda town, Lofa County.
Fangoda town is situated in Wanhassa district in northwestern Liberia.
Mr. Kennedy was on February 16, 2019 arrested and charged by the Liberia National Police in the area for committing Statutory rape.
Statutory Rape is a violation of chapter 14 section 14.70 of the revised penal code of Liberia involving the rape of a minor or someone below the age of 18.
According to police charged sheet, defendant Kennedy allegedly committed on February 16, in Savalahun town Kolahun district when the little girl was left unattended to by her parents.
The charge sheet further says the grandmother of the victim, Maimai Yatta on February 16, 2019 by 8:30am reported to the police that that she went and met her grand child in the defendant’s room lying down her back on his bed,.
Mr. Kennedy is said to have used his left finger to penetrate the victim’s private part after removing her under clothes while the child was crying.
The grandmother further indicated that it was at that moment that she decided to call on other community members to come and help rescue her grand child and the defendant was later arrested and turned over to the police.
According to the police charge sheet, the three-year old rape victim was referred to the Kolahun hospital for medical checkup and treatment. The defendant during police preliminary investigation willingly admitted the commission of the crime.
Having been formally charged, defendant Momoh Kennedy was handed over to the Kolahun Magisterial court. On Wednesday February 20, he was sent to Voinjama to be reminded at the Voinjama Central Prison, pending trial at the 10th Judicial Court in Voinjama.
Recent statistics from the Lofa Count Gender Office indicates that there is an increase in SGBV/GBV cases across the county, with persistent non-support and domestic violence topping the list.
The disclosure was made recently at a meeting organized by the county gender office and other partners in the county.