As Liberia recently joined countries around the world (SGBV) and celebrated 16 – days of activism as regards Sexual Gender – Based Violence (SGBV) against women and girls, the Sexual Gender-based Violence Crimes Unit (SGBVCU) of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has taken a massive educational awareness activity to various schools in Monrovia.
The awareness team which was led by the Division Director of SGBVCU, Cllr. Isaac L. George, Jr. started with both B.W. Harris High School on Broad Street and the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) on Camp Johnson Road on Monday.
During the awareness program, Cllr. George lectured about the rape law ranging from statutory to gang rapes to which most women and girls have fallen prey. The Counselor touched on the historicity of rape saying, the first rape case was reported in 1976 in Liberia. He also lectured on how the domestic relation law as it relates to rape which was crafted in 1965, while the rape law was passed in Liberia in 2005 by the late Gyude Bryant’s NTGL.
According to him, girls below the age of 18 years should not be forced for sex. He added that prior to the coming into being, Liberia had operated on common law of jurisdiction of Great Britain. The SGBVCU’s team moved to the United Methodist University (UMU) on Ashmun Street where students there were given similar adequate awareness and flyers on the rape law were distributed among the students.
He disclosed that there are over 700 alleged rapists at the Monrovia Central Beach. Cllr. George told the students that 98% of both women and girls have been victimized in Liberia. SGBVCU team was joined by CENTAL at the AMEU to observe the 16 – days of activism on rape.
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