Editorial: Suspension Isn’t Accountability, Mr. President, the McGill Alleged Rape Case Demands More 

IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, suspension from public office should never be mistaken for justice. Yet in Liberia today, the public is being asked to view the suspension of Deputy Minister for Youth Development, Bryant McGill, as a sufficient response to an allegation that strikes at the heart of the country’s long-standing battle with sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

MCGILL STANDS ACCUSED of raping a 14-year-old girl—a minor under Liberian law. The gravity of such a charge cannot be overstated. But for more than two weeks after the initial report was filed, McGill remained in his position, uncharged, unarrested, and shielded by official silence and procedural ambiguity.

PRESIDENT JOSEPH BOAKAI’S decision to suspend the Deputy Minister on Tuesday evening was, at best, a delayed reaction to overwhelming public pressure. It followed protests from civil society organizations, including the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), and a medical report that confirmed the child had been “tampered with.” The police themselves acknowledged that a sexual violation had occurred. Still, no arrest has been made.

SUSPENSION, WHILE NECESSARY under the circumstances, is not accountability. It is an administrative step that should accompany — not replace — swift legal action when warranted. In McGill’s case, the suspension serves only to momentarily quiet the storm of outrage. It does not address the deeper concerns Liberians have about the selective application of justice, particularly when the accused is politically connected.

AT A PRESS conference on September 17, Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman referred to the case as “delicate.” In a single word, the Liberia National Police unintentionally exposed a painful reality that justice in Liberia is not just blindfolded — it is also calibrated to status, proximity to power, and political relevance.

ACROSS LIBERIA, ORDINARY citizens accused of rape are routinely arrested within hours — often without the benefit of forensic testing, legal counsel, or a full investigation. 

CASES INVOLVING POOR and marginalized individuals are rarely afforded the kind of procedural luxury McGill is currently benefiting from. The inconsistency is glaring, and the public has taken notice.

AFELL AND OTHER advocacy groups were right to sound the alarm. Their protest outside the Ministry of Justice on September 16 was not just about one man — it was about a system that too often fails victims, particularly young girls, while protecting the elite. 

THEIR DEMAND FOR McGill’s immediate arrest is a demand for consistency, for impartiality, and for a justice system that treats all citizens equally.

CLLR. PHILOMENA WILLIAMS, AFELL’s president, emphasized that any attempt to interfere with the investigation would constitute obstruction of justice under Liberian law. This warning speaks to another critical concern about the possibility that McGill’s continued freedom and high-level connections could influence or compromise the integrity of the investigation.

OFFICIALS FROM THE Ministry of Justice, including Cllr. Isaac George, who heads the SGBV Crimes Unit, have stated that the case must be handled carefully to ensure it stands up in court. While no one disagrees that due process must be followed, it is difficult to ignore the growing perception that “careful” has become code for “slow,” and “due process” is being used as a tool of delay — not justice.

LIBERIANS ARE NOT calling for a kangaroo court or mob justice. What they are demanding is equality before the law. If there is enough evidence to warrant arrest in similar cases involving ordinary citizens, then the same standard must apply to McGill. Anything less signals that justice in Liberia is transactional — available to the highest bidder or most politically protected.

IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, victims of rape and SGBV often suffer in silence. They face underfunded police stations, indifferent officials, and a lack of medical or legal support. Many never report their cases at all, fearing retribution or dismissal. The handling of the McGill case only adds to their despair, reinforcing the belief that the system is not built to protect them.

THE MCGILL CASE is more than a legal controversy — it is a moral test for the Boakai administration. President Boakai came to power on promises of reform, transparency, and justice. His handling of this matter will serve as a benchmark for whether those promises were more than just campaign rhetoric.

TO DATE, THE administration’s response has been sluggish and reactive. There has been no clear plan for how such allegations involving public officials will be handled in the future. No commitment has been made to reviewing the structures that enable selective enforcement. No reassurances have been given to the Liberian people that power will no longer shield individuals from accountability.

THIS EDITORIAL IS not a verdict on McGill’s guilt or innocence. That is for the courts to decide. But it is a statement of principle that if the evidence warrants arrest and prosecution, then it must happen swiftly and without bias. Delaying action in deference to status undermines the very foundations of justice.

THE MINISTRY OF Youth and Sports must also conduct an internal investigation to determine whether McGill’s continued presence prior to his suspension compromised any part of the process. The Liberia National Police must move forward with urgency and transparency, and the Ministry of Justice must prosecute without fear or favor —regardless of whose name is on the charge sheet.

ANYTHING LESS WOULD betray the country’s most vulnerable citizens and further fracture the fragile trust Liberians have in their institutions.

THIS IS A pivotal moment. The credibility of Liberia’s justice system is at stake. The international community is watching, as are development partners who have poured millions into justice reform and human rights programs. Their continued support depends, in part, on whether Liberia is seen as a nation where the law protects the weak from the strong — not the other way around.

PRESIDENT BOAKAI’S DECISION to suspend McGill was necessary. But it was also overdue. And unless it is followed by a clear path to legal accountability, it risks becoming symbolic — a gesture rather than a solution.

MR. PRESIDENT, SUSPENSION isn’t accountability. Justice is. And it is long past time that Liberia delivers it  —without fear, favor, or delay.