Monrovia – The braille study class teacher at the Christian Association of the Blind (CAB), who has been accused of raping a 13-year-old visually impaired 13-year-old girl, has been arrested by the Liberia National Police custody and is expected to be sent to court.
Kwame Wreh was arrested in Bong County after a tipped off from some locals. He has been sent to the Juvenile Court at the Temple of Justice on the charge of corruption of minor.
But the charge was not accepted by the court because he’s not a juvenile.
Police record shows that Kwame is currently 20n but when the crime occurred, he was 17.
Judge Munah Sio said the court will not take Kwame as 17-year-old.
The Ministry of Justice Sexual Crimes Unit has also recommended that Kwame be tried as a juvenile but the court rejected.
It can be recalled that Princess (not her real name) was allegedly raped in the school’s kitchen by Kwame.
Princess, in her statement to the health counselor during the medical examination, said Mrs. Fatu Kota, administrator of school, knew about the incident but she asked the minor not to disclose it to anyone.
When the incident occurred, Princess said Kwame were asked to leave the school.
Her grandmother then questioned that decision and opted to inform the police.
Princess was again allegedly raped by Johnny Karyea. Her parents claimed the constant rape got her impregnated.
Johnny was later released by the Juvenile Court without the victim’s family consent.
And Princess’ grandparents are now worried that the Court may also set free Kwame.
“We know the almighty God is working things out, just imagine what happened to me when I was told that Johnny was released without the family knowledge, now they have Kwame it is our fear that they might free him too,” said the grandmother.
According to Princess’s grandparents’ regulatory authorities set up to protect sexual victims or survivors should avoid disappointing victims.
“When the case is taken to the law you don’t find the government seeking the interest. From what happened to us, it brought it to my mind that many people have been victimized [because] the court releases suspects without the acquiescence of the victim’s family,” she said.
“It is frustrating and there are lots of bleeding hearts because you allow the victim’s family to leave their pains to God and that is something that the regulatory bodies should work on.”
However, the victim’s grandparents are also optimistic that justice might be served.
The grandmother is calling for support to provide psychosocial counseling for Princess because “she has been grieving since the incident occurred”.
The family then hailed the Ministry of Gender Children Social protection for its intervention.