Liberia: Burned Victim Narrates Ordel As Police Charges Suspect

Monrovia – The Liberia National Police has charged T. Girl Zanjey, the woman who allegedly burned nine-year Hannah buttock, with aggravated assault and endangering welfare. 

Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, bettie[email protected]

T. Girl was arrested following a complaint filed by community members in New Georgia Gulf by a resident Henry Paye.

According to the charge sheet, Paye saw the victim with burnt buttock while she was being compared to wash dishes.

He told officers that he took the victim from over the dishes and immediately called for defendant T. Girl to take the victim to the hospital but she (defendant) refused.

The victim told officers that she was sleeping on the bench when the defendant wasted the boiling water on her and told her that she will not use her money to take her to the hospital.

The defendant denied all allegation made by the victim and community members, claiming that she didn’t take the victim to the hospital because she never had money.

Police investigation established that the victim statement is factual which led to the arrest of the defendant.

The writ of arrest issued March 12 to the defendant states that the act by the defendant was “criminal, intentional, unlawful, illegal”.

It furthers that the defendant “intentionally committed the crime of endangering child welfare in violation of the penal law of Liberia”.

“Defendant T. Girl purposely, knowingly refused to take the victim to the hospital after she got burned from hot water that was on the cook pot and as a result, the victim is suffering from urine, toileting problems,” the writ states.

The charges on defendant T. Girl is bailable as it is unknown if she files a bond to secure her release on Tuesday at the Gardnesville Magisterial Court.

Five years ago, Hannah moved to her aunty, T.Girl – the younger sister of her father – to get a better education in Monrovia. However, maltreatment by her aunty has made life difficult for her.