Liberia: Mother of 15-Year-old Raped, Impregnated by Stepfather Arrested; Dad on the Run
by Mae Azango
Police Inspector General Col. Patrick Sudue told FrontPageAfrica a short
while
ago that the mother of the 15-year-old girl raped and impregnated by her stepfather has been arrested and currently assisting the police in the investigation to determine further charges against anyone who may have aided and abetted the stepfather, including the mother, in the commission and concealment of the crimes of Statutory Rape and Corruption of a Minor.
Monrovia – The mother of a 15-year-old raped and impregnated by her stepfather is in police custody.
Col. Patrick Sudue, Inspector General of the Liberia National Police confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that Mary Chultay or ‘Ma Mary’ was picked up early this morning.
“We have just arrested the little girl’s mother in person of Mary Chulutay. She was picked up 20 minutes ago in Johnsonville.”
Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean told FrontPageAfrica that an order for the arrest of the mother and the stepfather was issued on Tuesday. “On yesterday, we ordered the arrest of the stepfather of the girl seen in the video recording. A massive nationwide manhunt is in progress. He is charged with Statutory Rape and Corruption of a Minor.”
“Both the girl and her grandmother have been located in Lofa. “They will be transported to Monrovia under police escort. Mary Chulutay, the girl’s mother was picked up in Johnsonville. She has agreed to provide police with a photograph of the stepfather. Manhunt is on for the stepfather.”Cllr. Frank Musah Dean, Minister of Justice
IG Sudue said Wednesday that the mother of the minor is assisting the police in the investigation to determine further charges against anyone who may have aided and abetted the stepfather, including the mother, in the commission and concealment of the crimes of Statutory Rape and Corruption of a Minor.
The investigation is reportedly been hampered by the lack of photograph of the stepfather. But Justice Minister Dean told FPA a short while ago that the mother has agreed to turn over a photograph of her husband. “Both the girl and her grandmother have been located in Lofa. “They will be transported to Monrovia under police escort. Mary Chulutay, the girl’s mother was picked up in Johnsonville. She has agreed to provide police with a photograph of the stepfather. Manhunt is on for the stepfather.”
The video of the rape victim explaining her ordeal has gone viral and generated a lot of interest over the past few days. On Tuesday, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence(Liberty Party, Grand Bassa) has urged the Ministry of Justice, the Female Lawyers Association of Liberia, Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Protection and all institutions interested in the rights of children to treat the rape and impregnation of a 15-year-old girl in Lofa County with the utmost urgency in sending a powerful message to would-be rapists and abusers of children’s rights.
In a statement Tuesday, the Senator said she was heartbroken after watching the video that has gone viral depicting the young girl explaining how she was raped by her stepfather.
The 15-year—old explained how she once lived with her mother and the husband in Monrovia. But since her mother’s husband family never liked the mother, her grandmother told the mother to go to Lofa and leave her husband, but the mother refused, until the unthinkable happened leading to her pregnancy.
Kumba lamented: “That day, when my ma was going to sell, she told me to lock the door. After I finished locking the door and went to sleep; my ma husband tied cloth on his face and put clothes in my mouth so, I could not shout, and he did bad thing to me. By that time, I was menstruating when he did it to me. When I told my ma, she said husband cannot do that kind of thing.”
The little girl furthered narrated after some time, her stomach started growing, her mother bought pregnancy test and tested her and found out she was pregnant. But by the she explained she was already three-months pregnant and nothing came out of it. “So, she sent me to my grandma in Lofa to be here.”
When asked if her mother did anything about the situation, the young girl explained that at first, the mother wanted to take action against the husband, but people told her not to do it. “So, she sent him to his home. The same day I was coming to Lofa, is the same day my step pa was going to his home,” she said.
Senator Lawrence said Tuesday that as a mother and national leader, she has been deeply distressed by the video.