By Amos Harris
Wantoe Teah Wantoe, a prominent social media voice for the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), often hailed by supporters as the party’s “book man,” is facing intense scrutiny following provocative claims regarding Liberia’s rape statistics. In a Facebook post shared on February 23, Wantoe alleged that President Joseph Nyumah Boakai is presiding over the highest number of rape cases in the country’s post-war history. While the post quickly gained traction among CDC partisans as a critique of the current administration’s handling of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), a wave of fact-checking has since challenged the credibility and context of his assertions.
In his viral post, Wantoe alleged that the Boakai administration recorded 2,759 rape cases in 2024 and an additional 1,735 cases within the first three quarters of 2025. He argued that these figures represent a historic high since the end of the civil conflict, specifically highlighting that 1,485 of the 2024 victims were children under the age of 18. While the specific annual figures for 2024 and 2025 largely align with preliminary data from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, his broader claim of a “post-war high” begins to unravel when compared to the cumulative records of previous administrations.
A deep dive into verified statistics from the Ministry of Gender and international development reports reveals a far more staggering historical burden. During the tenure of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, records between 2009 and 2017 show more than 7,385 recorded rape cases. Within that period, 2011 and 2012 saw 1,476 and 1,501 cases respectively. Even through the height of the Ebola crisis, reports remained high, with total figures over those eight years far exceeding the numbers recorded in the opening years of the current administration.
The statistics climbed even higher under the administration of former President George Manneh Weah. Between 2018 and 2023, cumulative reports indicate that more than 10,200 rape cases were documented nationwide. Data from the Spotlight Initiative Liberia Results Newsletter shows that roughly 6,952 cases were recorded between 2018 and 2021 alone. By the time 2022 and 2023 were accounted for, the Weah administration’s total reached over 10,270 cases, which significantly outpaced the 4,494 cases recorded thus far under President Boakai.
Governance advocates and fact-checkers argue that Wantoe’s presentation of data lacks essential context by failing to compare cumulative multi-year totals across different terms of office. By framing two years of data as a historic anomaly, critics suggest the CDC activist distorted the record for political leverage. Civil society advocates in Monrovia have voiced concerns that politicizing such a grave national crisis risks turning a tragedy into partisan ammunition, noting that sexual violence should never be reduced to a campaign slogan.
Experts also caution that fluctuations in these numbers often reflect variables beyond the crime rate itself, such as improved reporting systems, expanded data collection, and increased public awareness. Enhanced advocacy and survivor hotlines in recent years have likely led to the documentation of cases that previously would have remained in the shadows. Consequently, a rise in recorded numbers can sometimes indicate a more responsive system rather than a simple spike in incidents.
The debate has sparked a wider conversation about responsible communication from political figures who position themselves as intellectual authorities. While Wantoe is recognized as an articulate commentator, analysts suggest that public figures must exercise extreme diligence when presenting statistics to large audiences. In a nation still healing from the trauma of conflict—where rape was once used as a weapon of war—the accuracy of information is not just a matter of political debate, but a matter of public trust.
Ultimately, the figures confirm that while the current administration’s 4,494 cases are deeply alarming, they do not support the claim of a post-war record. Beyond the political crossfire, the urgent reality remains that thousands of Liberian families continue to be affected by sexual violence. The focus, many argue, should shift from partisan point-scoring toward a unified effort to improve justice, medical care, and protection for survivors.
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