–Protest staged in Monrovia
By our Reporter
The Liberian Senate’s amendment of the rape law making it bailable has triggered protest from women rights activists, with a female Senator describing the move as “wicked”, whilst a group has staged a peaceful protest in Monrovia at the weekend.
Montserrado County Senator Geraldine Doe Sheriff told Journalists Friday, that she was strongly opposed to the move by her colleagues to vote in favour of allowing rapists to benefit from bail.
Doe Sheriff, who chairs the campaign team of the ruling Unity Party, said from our conversation with the UP’s presidential candidate Vice President Joseph Boakai, he’s opposed to making rape a nonbailable offense.
The UP campaign official said what the Senate should be doing now is to work to ensure that the prosecution of the rising number of rape cases in Liberia is fast tracked.
Friday’s protest was staged against the Senate’s amendment at the Capitol Building, seat of the National Legislature and at the US embassy in Monrovia, calling for intervention to prevent the decision taking effect.
“We are calling on our mothers, our sisters, and all well-meaning Liberians to stand up against this law. We will not rest until our voices are heard,” the protestors said.
They urged the civil society to join them in resisting the passage of the new amended rape law.
One of the placards the protestors carried read, “protect our girls against bad rape law.”
Capitol Building correspondents say the decision to amend the rape law was in a simple majority vote by eight of the country’s 30 Senators.
But one Senator, Jonathan Kaipay of Grand Bassa County voted against the movet to amend the law, while Sinoe County Senator Peter Coleman filed a motion for reconsideration.