Efforts to curb litany of rape and other sexual violence in the country seemed not be yielding significant fruits as evident by the latest reports of rape involving a man said to be 25 and a little girl, 7.

For example, on Saturday of last week, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) held a concert intended to highlight the danger associated with rape and other abuses in the society.

During the concert, which brought thousands of Liberians under one roof, top musicians from the West African region took center stage as a means of adding value, impact and meaning to the exercise.

But on Monday of this week, just two days after the successful holding of the concert, an individual identified as Opie Chea reportedly grabbed a little girl, brought her pants down and did what he wanted to do. The incident according to information gathered occurred in the Samuel K. Doe Community on the Bushrod Island.

A source closed to the victim said the alleged rapist (Chea) went to the house of the victim in the early hours of Monday under the pretext of inquiring for her (victim.) Instead of approaching the girl’s grandmother (blind) with whom she lives, he hid himself behind the front door.

This paper gathered that upon seeing the girl still asleep and that no one noticed him since the grandmother is blind, he crept on the little girl, stuffed cloths to her mouth and forced her to sex.

Upon completing his mission, the source said the alleged victim escaped the scene, but did not realize that the little know him as a neighbor. “The girl is bleeding. We took her to the Clara Town Clinic, but it appears the situation is not improving,” the sources said.

The source could not say whether the police have been alerted on the issue, but noted that victim’s family is demanding the Chea family to foot the medical bills of the girl and.

CLHRE Wants Ample Focus On Rape

The Acting Director of the Center For Law and Human Rights Education (CLHRE) Edward Z. Solu has called on the Liberian government to conduct more education on the rape law.

Suloe made the statement in Harbel, Margibi County during a Civic Education and Capacity-building Workshop. He said the government should provide sufficient education that would help the public to understand the interpretation and procedure of the rape law and its function in the country.

According to the CLHRE acting boss, the government was under oath to provide timely and basic education on the rape law to avoid its misinterpretation, .as it would satisfy the right of the people on information as regards the rape law.

He told the participants who include youth, women groups, and the elderly and local authorities that major gender based violence including rape, forced prostitutions, forced child labor, domestic violence and others form of violence against women and children must be reported to the government.

Suloe indicated that the misuse of young girls as sex mates in schools, offices and other places of works based on monetary influence as well as political power should be curtailed.

The Civil Education and capacity-building workshop, brought together youths, women groups the elderly and local authorities. He said the workshop was intended to raise the level of education on many negative issues that were affecting the co- existing of Liberian people.

He said both the government and people in decision-making positions in the Liberian society should protect the increasing violence of both the constitutional and God given rights.