By Ben Morris in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County
The Liberia National Police (LNP) in Liberia’s southeastern Grand Gedeh County has arrested a 39-year-old Herbalist and charged him with multiple crimes for allegedly abusing womanhood.
Herbalist Zoe Emmanuel Kai, who has now been sent to court, allegedly stripped naked several young girls and women and publically shaved the hair from their private parts in the Kpasua Hill community in the provincial capital, Zwedru.
Kai is said to have done this while administering his traditional herbs on them, something that draw the attention of the County authority and women rights groups in the County.
This is happening as Liberia is joining the world in marking the start of the 16 days activism on violence against women.
During police preliminary investigation, herbalist Kai claimed that the females in question were involved in witchcraft activities in the community over the years and he was rebuking them to do away from such practice.
“I am trying my best to change these people witchcraft attitude then you people embarrassing me,” Herbalist Kai said.
Following the arrest of Zoe Emmanuel Kai, the head of Liberia’s Traditional Council Chief Zanzan Karwor is said to have commended the local authorities in Grand Gedeh for the step taken.
Chief Karwor has advised the herbalist to comply with the law while undergoing trial at the seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Gedeh County.
The head of the Traditional Council said the herbalist Zoe Kai was issued a license to heal people with common sickness, not to go strip naked women and shaved their front hair in Public.
Meanwhile, women rights group in Grand Gedeh have condemned herbalist Zoe Kai’s act against the women and girls and they called for speedy trail of his case.
Madam Jesedeh Bazen, the head of rural women the County said such has not happened before in the Krahn culture.
“This man have disgraced we women just for him to administered herbs on these women he brought in the public and begin shaving their front hair and standing naked in front people, we will fight this case until we see the end she exclaimed,” Bazan said.
Some of the women who spoke to www.newspublictrust.com said they have been in witchcraft activities for years now and that was why they went for transformation to herbalist Zoe Emmanuel Kai.
Sarah Weah, age 52 called on the local authority to release the herbalist from jail to continue his work on them, despite the public outcry.
This medium has gathered that witchcraft activities are said on the increase in Grand Gedeh County.
Locals blame the increase in this practice on the dissolution of the “traditional test” that was in the past used to determine who had witchcraft.