– Agnes Taylor Keeps Denying String Of Torture Charges
Like husband Charles Ghankay Taylor who despite guilty verdict brought down against him for aiding and abetting war in neighboring Sierra Leon repeatedly denied his involvement; same is his ex-wife who has denied a string of torture charges, including one relating to a woman witnessing the shooting of her two children while she was tied up.
Agnes Taylor, 52, is also accused of conspiring to use rape to torture women during the Liberia’s civil war in 1990. Another allegation states that the former university lecturer was involved in the torture of a child, who was tied to a tree and witnessed the shooting of others.
Ms. Taylor appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday October 10, 2018 by video link from Bronzefield Prison, in Surrey.
She entered not guilty pleas to eight charges, which can be reported for the first time.
The first relates to alleged rapes by (National Patriotic Front of Liberia) NPFL forces in a village in Liberia. Three more relate to the alleged torture of a 13-year-old boy by severely beating him. A fifth relates to the alleged torture of a man by severely beating him, while a sixth relates to the alleged torture of another man by shooting him in the leg.
The seventh relates to the alleged torture of an unnamed child, who was allegedly tied to a tree and witnessed the shooting of others, while the eighth relates to the alleged torture of a “pastor’s wife” in 1990 by tying her up and witnessing the shooting of her two children.
All of the alleged offences are said to have been committed while Ms. Taylor was “a public official or person acting in an official capacity”.
Each of the torture counts states her alleged actions were “in the performance or purported performance of [her] official duties”.
Ms. Taylor, of Dagenham, in east London, who previously worked as a lecturer and head of department at Coventry University, faces trial next January. She remains in custody.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.
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