Girl 8, Raped On Int’l Day Of The Girl Child

By Esau J. Farr

Report from Lofa County says an eight-year-old girl in Lofa County has been allegedly raped by an unknown man.

The incident is said to have taken place last Thursday, October 11, 2018, the day set aside by the United Nations to observe the importance of the girl child and threats, harassments and exploitation girls and young women go through in the world.

According to a local journalist in the area, the victim of the rape, Taywah Sakui (not her real name), encountered the alleged rape suspect on a farm road along the Lavelasu Town Road after she came from school following her parents on their farm.

She explained that it was at this point that while walking on the farm road that an unknown man ran from the bush and rushed unto to her, tied her face with a cloth and sexually abused her causing her to have bled profusely.

The child told her parents that after the man allegedly committed the act against her, he ran away from the scene leaving her to scream in search of her parents as there was no one around to rescue her from the hands of her attacker despite shouting above her voice several times and later got overpowered by the unknown man.

She later told police in the county that prior to her being tied up with a cloth, she identified the man as a short black man and that if she sees the person at this time, she will be able to identify the alleged suspect.

According to the local journalist, police have begun identifying, arresting and bringing before the child short black men as the search for the suspect continues.

Meanwhile, police have launched a manhunt for the man and has cautioned community people to help bring the alleged rapist to justice.

The issue of rape continues to be a matter of concern and challenge despite the passage of the new rape law defining rape as any forceful penetration on any opening of the body by another person without the consent of the person being tempered with.