Monrovia – The Liberia National Police has launched an investigation into the death of a six-year-old girl only identified as Mardea who was allegedly beaten to death in Peace Island, Congo Town.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
The news of little Mardea’s death shocked residents of the community as dozens of people gathered in the community early Monday, July 2 as diverse versions of her ordeal spread across the area.
Some youths, carrying photo of her corpse, staged a protest at the entrance of the community. They were seen sharing the photos with passersby while trying to spread news of her gruesome death.
According to some residents of the area, the late Mardea was a victim of constant domestic violence allegedly perpetrated by her guardian identified as Mary Seaton.
LNP Spokesperson, Moses Carter, confirmed that a woman identified as Mary Seaton is currently undergoing police investigation for allegedly beating to death her husband’s niece.
Carter said details of the probe will be released to the press soon.
FrontPage Africa’s reporter who went on the scene spoke to some neighbors of the alleged perpetrator.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, some of them explained that before the six-year-old demise, she was seen with several bruises on her body including on her hands, head and feet.
They claimed that she was always heard crying from the house at night.
According to them, her guardians accused her of being a witch who had come into their lives with bad luck and as the result, she was badly treated.
Another neighbor who was in close contact with the deceased and her guardian recalled how the guardian asked her to cure the little girl.
“One day in October last year, Mary (Seaton) brought her to us and told us to help cure her hand. She said the girl fell from a table and sprung her hand.
“So, every time we applied the medicine (herb), the next day there will be sores (bruises), all over her body. She would tell us that the girl uses a hot cook spoon to burn herself. She would constantly beat on her. We warned her to stop mistreating the girl and she couldn’t listen, so we stopped the treatment,” the neighbor said.
Meanwhile, Benson Youhn, the community leader, has condemned the alleged abuse and death of Mardea, calling on the police to ensure that the alleged perpetrator(s) is brought to book.
Mr. Youhn, also a social worker, vowed to launch a robust campaign against domestic violence in the community.
Domestic and sexual violence including beating and other forms of harmful punishments and rape are forms of abuses frequently perpetrated against children and young people in Liberia.
Most of the children who suffered from these forms of violence do not live with their parents as was in the case of little Mardea.
Generally, they are sent to relatives by their parents, who are considered poor and unable to cater to their children, from the rural parts of the country mainly to go to school in urban areas.
Unfortunately, most of these children end up living the worst experience of their short lives.
They are subjected to exploitation and various maltreatment from their foster families, with few or no protective mechanisms available to them.
One notable case involved a 13-year old girl, who was reportedly raped and impregnated by a sitting lawmaker-former Grand Gedeh County Representative, Morias Waylee.
The former Grand Gedeh lawmaker is said to be an uncle of the 13-year-old girl (now 14) whom she lived within Monrovia while going to school.
One year after FrontPage Africa broke the story, the girl is yet to be rescued from her nightmare.
Although Waylee and his wife were arrested and charged with multiple crimes including criminal conspiracy, due to insufficient information the Liberia National Police could not charge him with rape.
Till today’s date, the Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Justice and regulatory authorities cannot give any information about the 13-year old victim who is said to be in hiding.
Last year, the victim told FPA that her parents knew what happened to her but she was cautioned not to speak to anyone.
Meanwhile, the news of Mardea’s death has renewed calls for the enforcement of the Domestic Violence law which was passed into law at the latter stage of former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration.