By Randall George | GNN Legislative Reporter|
As Liberians overwhelmingly complain of series of mysterious deaths, backed with ritualistic killings around Liberia with the recent deaths of two ex-presidents of Liberia sons being the latest, a member of the House of Representative from Maryland County’s District #1, P. Mike Jurry has submitted to the plenary of the House of Representatives “An Act To Amend Chapter Fourteen (14), Subchapter A of the Penal Code Of Liberia To Create Section 14.5 ” An Act Of Human Sacrifice”.
Representative Jurry is lobbying with his colleagues at the House of Representatives to pass this amendment into law and is also calling on Civil society, media, and the people of Liberia to support this law, which according to him will serve as a deterrent to people involved in the practice of human sacrifice.
Addressing legislative reporters after session at his Capitol Building office Representative Jurry said, human sacrifice is a serious mounting concern to law administration agencies, human rights organizations, parents, and the general public.
“The perpetrators of human sacrifice are mostly ritualistic killers and/or supported by witch doctors and others. Sometimes there are financiers of this practice who businessmen, businesswomen, politicians, individuals and others who are never prosecuted.
Necessarily and obligatorily, the perpetrators as well as the accessories of the act of human sacrifice need to be punished. This needs special rules that can be provided in a specific law on human sacrifice.” He told reporters.
Representative Jurry also said that several cases on human sacrifices, which are tried either as murder or manslaughter cases meet severe legal challenges due to the legal rules that already exist within the Liberian law.
Specifying, he said offense of human sacrifice has slightly different interpretations from the ordinary homicide.
Secondly, the lawmaker continued, “Whereas attempted murder is well defined and can be proven under the ingredients of murder, attempted human sacrifice is a very different category because in involves personalities(politicians, businessmen, businesswomen), relatives, friends, witchdoctors, others, and dead victims found without explanation.”
Liberia’s current Penal Code Act 14 does not provide for the offense of human sacrifice.
Meanwhile, the bill has been sent to the House’ Judiciary Committee to report back in two weeks.
Comments are closed.