Liberia: Alleged Mad Woman Goes On The Rampage In South Beach

MONROVIA – Serious concerns regarding the safety and welfare of inmates within the nation’s correctional facilities, including the Monrovia Central Prison, have surfaced following a disturbing incident that unfolded on Thursday, October 12, 2023. The incident involved a mentally unstable female inmate who instigated panic in the female quarters of the prison.

This woman had been placed in the South Beach prison as a pretrial detainee. During the incident, she posed a significant challenge to the female correctional officers assigned to maintain order. The officers, employing their professional training and physical restraint techniques, struggled to subdue her.

During her rampage, the agitated inmate physically assaulted an elderly detainee identified as Rebecca Youdeh Wisner, who is related to former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott. Justice Gloria Musu Scott and three of her family members are currently facing legal proceedings in connection with the death of Charloe Musu and are detained in the female section of the Monrovia Central Prison.

This incident has further highlighted the longstanding concerns raised by civil society organizations and concerned Liberians regarding the safety of both inmates and correctional officers working in challenging conditions. The pressing need for better-equipped correctional officers, improved working conditions, and the establishment of well-funded trauma counseling and mental health facilities within the prison system has become even more evident.

The mentally unstable inmate involved in this incident has since been removed from the prison compound to receive necessary medical and therapeutic attention.