News & Updates
In Liberia, supporting courts to provide justice for survivors of sexual violence
August 22, 2023
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GRAND GEDEH COUNTY, Liberia - Badio Quiah has been the Clerk of Court for the Ministry of Justice at the 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Gedeh County for over 15 years. He has seen firsthand the challenges that the court system has faced in addressing cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), particularly rape.
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"Before the intervention of the Spotlight Initiative, most cases of SGBV were left uninvestigated," Mr. Quiah said. "Victims' statements or evidence were being condemned, and victims were left being more victimized with no proper care or safety."
A 2016 UN study found that only 2 per cent of rapes cases reported in Liberia resulted in a conviction, a figure that is consistent with global statistics.
This lack of justice led to a culture of silence around SGBV and rape. Survivors were afraid to come forward and perpetrators were rarely held accountable.
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Read more on https://www.spotlightinitiative.org/news/liberia-supporting-courts-provide-justice-survivors-sexual-violence
Liberia declares rape a national emergency after spike in cases
Liberian President George Weah has declared rape a national emergency and ordered new measures to tackle the problem after a recent spike of cases in the West African state.
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The move comes after thousands of Liberians protested against rising incidents of rape in the capital Monrovia last month in a bid to draw attention to the country’s alarming rate of sexual assault.
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See more on https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/12/liberia-declares-rape-a-national-emergency-after-spike-in-cases