Rape Cases Decline In Kakata

Since the successful prosecution of a rapist in Kakata, Margibi County , at the end of March 2008, the number of rape cases brought to the police and ARC Liberia in Kakata has noticeably declined. The case, which involved a 52-year-old perpetrator and a 12-year-old survivor, was successfully prosecuted thanks to a partnership between the local law enforcement and justice systems, the American Refugee Committee (ARC), and FIND, with the support of the American government.

The day after the rape, the girl's aunt and caregiver took her to the Women and Children Protection Services at the Kakata Police Station. Chief Inspector Gerald Holder sent her to the hospital for treatment and a medical certificate, and called in ARC social workers Coocoo Kolleh and Janet Fogbawa to provide psychosocial support to help the girl and her aunt through the difficult process of putting her rapist behind bars. Ms. Kolleh and Ms. Fogbawa also brought in legal support from ARC's local partner FIND.

The vast majority of rape cases in Liberia simply go unpunished. According to State Prosecutor Oberly, families often do not report rapes due to the stigma associated with rape and a preference for “compromise” (traditional mediation that usually results in the rapist providing financial support to his victim). Even the cost of transport to the police station can be a serious deterrent. Once a family decides to prosecute, botched or delayed medical certificates and backlogs within the courts mean that the vast majority of cases never make it to trial. In the past six months, ARC has brought 51 cases of rape to court in Margibi County alone. In 49 of these, the survivor is a minor. Only one has been successfully prosecuted. In fact, the perpetrator who was just convicted had been accused of sexually abusing two other young girls, but both times he was sent home free.

After the judge handed down his decision, the citizens of Kakata rejoiced. The trial had been followed by the local radio station, and coverage of the verdict ran for three days straight. State Prosecutor Oberly believes that the rape law passed in 2005 has not been effective in deterring rapists because they see that it is rarely enforced. “The only way to deter rapists is to have many face the law and be found guilty,” Oberly says.

While it will take more than a single guilty verdict to change the history of impunity for sexual violence in Liberia , the number of rape cases brought to ARC has indeed gone down since the sentence. After receiving 47 cases from October to March, ARC has taken in just four new rape survivors from April to mid-May. Chief Inspector Holder confirms that his office has also seen a decrease in rape cases during the same period.

The leader of the Margibi legal aid team, Shadrack Paasewe, visited the Kakata jail where the perpetrator was sentenced to spend the rest of his life. “I saw him with my own eyes in the prison compound,” Paasewe says. According to State Prosecutor Oberly, “only the president can give him a reprieve. But for rapists, that's a hard fight to win.”