The UN has released a new report documenting the “high incidence of rape in Liberia as well as the widespread impunity enjoyed by perpetrators.” As many as three-quarters of all Liberian women and girls were raped during Liberia’s civil war and rape remains the “second most commonly reported serious crime in Liberia.” Social and cultural pressures, as well as weak governmental institutions, protect most perpetrators from prosecution for their crimes. The report, issued by the UN Mission in Liberia and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, recommends that Liberia increase resources for combating rape, as well as strengthen the country’s laws against domestic and sexual violence.
To download the full report, please visit the UN OHCHR website and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Compiled from: UN report urges Liberia to act on rape, UN OHCHR news (October 14, 2016).