Monrovia – The Speaker of the Liberia National Children’s Representative Forum, Jutomue Doetein, has expressed dismay over the delay of the investigation over the death of a five-year-old boy in Logan Town, Bushrod Island.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
At a news conference on Monday, January 29, Doetein alleged that since the lifeless body of little Oliver Brown was discovered in a car belonging to a Nigerian national, the Police is yet to report on findings that led to the death of the child.
“Up to now the Police is saying that investigation is continuing. The body of the child, deposited currently at the Two Brothers Funeral Home, we have come to understand that the body of this child was tampered with. The eyes and the tongue were tampered with. One doesn’t have to do an autopsy before one knows that this child was tampered with,” laments Doetein.
But when contacted, Police Spokesman Sam Collins told FrontPage Africa that investigation has completed and the LNP have charged the child’s parent and the owner of the vehicle in which he was found dead with negligent and have been forwarded to court for prosecution.
“The investigation report is completed, and the mother of the child and the owner of the car have been charged with negligent. The Police investigation established that there was no foul play. They have been charged and sent to court for prosecution,” Mr. Collins noted.
However, the Children Forum’s Chief spokesperson alleged that the body of the child was tampered with and called on the police to ensure that those responsible be brought to book as it is not the first time for such case to be reported in the area.
He disclosed that there have been cases of kidnaping, rape and death of children over the years and in most cases perpetrators of these heinous crimes go with impunity.
“I want to use this medium to call on the Police and the entire Justice System of our country to ensure that justice prevails in the killing of little Oliver Brown. We are down hearted because the issue with ritualistic killings in Logan Town is not the first of its kind.
The same incident occurred when the lifeless body of a child was found in a septic tank on July 26, 2017. We strongly believe that certain people in the community are doing these wicked things to the children,” he intoned.
He used the occasion to urge President George Manneh Weah to appoint people at the Ministry of Justice, who will prioritize the protection of children; something he said did not happen during the past administrations.
“We ask President George Weah to appoint in the Justice System people who will have the hearts for the children of Liberia,” he said as he accused the justice system under the previous administration of not treating the Liberian children fairly.