MONROVIA, January 27 (LINA) - Two government officials have called for research and investigation into causes of rape by men far older than their victims.
Montserrado County Senator George Weah and Justice Minister Benedict Sannoh indicated that if nothing is done, the country runs the risk of punishing rapists rather than preventing them.
Weah and Sannoh made the observation in separate interviews with the Liberia News Agency Monday after the President delivered her annual State of the Nation address to the 53rd National Legislature at the Capitol Building.
The officials noted that the government has made substantial efforts to create institutions and programs that combat rape, but has failed to identify reasons why men are alarmingly becoming rapists.
According to them, the psycho-social pillar for survivors of rape needs to shift its focus on also psycho-social counseling of the rapists so as to ascertain other issues the government needs to know to reduce rape.
The government in 2008 amended the Judicial Law of 1972 establishing the Criminal Court “E” at the Temple of Justice to have exclusive jurisdiction over the crimes of rape, aggravated involuntary sodomy, voluntary sodomy, involuntary sodomy, corruption of minors, sexual abuse of wards and sexual assault.
LINA