Kids Foundation Liberia Laments Ritualistic Activities

-Recommends The Reintroduction of Capital Punishment

Kids Foundation Liberia, a local nongovernmental organization based in Gompa City, Nimba has lamented the increase in ritualistic activities in the county and other parts of the country.

In a strong worded statement signed by the Executive Director of the group, the group recounted the mysterious disappearances of adults and children and later discovered dead with body parts extracted.

To curtail such barbaric acts, the group wants the reintroduction of ‘Capital Punishment’. Capital Punishment known as the death penalty, is a government-sanctioned practice whereby a person is killed by the state as a punishment for a crime. They commonly include offences such as murder, mass murder, terrorism, treason, espionage among others.

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted, in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, non-binding resolutions calling for a global moratorium on executions, with a view to eventual abolition. Although most nations have abolished capital punishment, over 60% of the world’s population live in countries where the death penalty is retained, such as China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, among all mostly Islamic countries, as is maintained in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka. China executes more people than all other countries combined.

The group through its Executive Director, G. Augustine Dahn said such act violates fundamental human rights violation.

According to Dahn, ritualistic killing is now glaring and must not be taken likely.

Mr. G. Augustine Dahn reading the statement in Gompa City, Nimba County

“If the prevailing human rights situations in Liberia do not improve, it would plunge the country into chaos and further undermine efforts by government and the international community to ensure sustained peace in Liberia. Since the inception of the Liberian civil war in 1989 up to today’s date, the country has had tainted human rights situations and records and had become focus of international attention,” Kids Foundation said in a statement read by its Executive Director on Saturday March 23, 2019 in Gompa City, Nimba County.

Dahn recalled some of the heartrending human rights issues in Liberia as ritualistic killings, police abuse, arbitrary arrests, denial of due process, violence against women and children, child abuse, human trafficking and child Labor.

He lamented that these situations are on the increase in the country, yet they profess to practice human rights by sparing the lives of individuals who gruesomely take away the lives of others.

“The increasing waves of these human rights issues can be squarely blamed on the country’s contaminated judicial system. Inefficiency; Corruption; unqualified judges and lawyers; lack of sufficient court facilities, transportation and other resources; inadequate police investigation; shortage of public defenders; and poor case management are key factors that continue to expose the weaknesses of Liberia’s justice system,” the statement added.

The group however said if the country must improve the human rights situations, the government along with partners must take practical steps to mend the country’s appalled judicial system.

“Additionally, the Liberian justice system lacks citizens trustworthiness and as a result, there are always reports of lawlessness across the country. Citizens who are directly affected by ritualistic killings and other human rights issues choose to engage in mob violence and other lawless acts simply because they lack confidence in their country’s justice system.

“The mob violence in Ganta on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 in which two suspected ritualistic killers were mobbed to death by angry crowd demonstrates what happens when a country has a struggling justice system. Such situation should be a wakeup call for government to strengthen the justice system,” the group bewailed.

Meanwhile, the organization has emphatically condemned such ‘lawlessness’ which led to the loss of lives.

“Fellow Citizens, the urgent need to restore Citizens confidence in the justice system should not be overemphasized. Let it be noted by everyone that Liberia cannot have a lasting peace when citizens do not trust the justice system,” the group added.

They also want the government rids the judicial system of those they called unqualified Lawyers and Judges who poor legal performances have always undermined the justice system.

“That the government conducts routine trainings for judicial actors and Law Enforcement Officers to enhance their capacity and ensure effectiveness in the discharge of their professional duties. That the government provides logistical supports to the Police and other security institutions to make them proactive and robust in their operations.

“That the Liberia National Police constantly gives updates on rape and murder cases in a bid to restore citizens trust in the justice system. That the government constructs more prison facilities across Liberia to mitigate over crowdedness of existing prison facilities. That the government ensures access to justice by all Citizens irrespective of their age, sex, creed, financial status and political affiliations. Let justice be done to all men as inscribed on the Temple of Justice in Monrovia,” the group recommended.

The organization is meanwhile urging all parents to ensure the safety of their Children at all times.