–Youth & Sports Ministry Official Accuses Deputy Minister Bryant McGill of Raping His Daughter
By Jerromie S. Walters
MONROVIA – The Deputy Chief of Security for Administration at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Christopher Davis, has accused Deputy Minister for Youth Development Bryant McGill of raping his 14-year-old daughter. The alleged assault occurred on August 30, 2025, and has since been reported to the Liberia National Police (LNP), which is now investigating the matter.
The survivor is currently out of school and suffering significant physical and psychological trauma, according to her father. “My daughter is not feeling too good. He even tore her underclothes to have her” Davis said. Rape is a serious criminal offense under Liberian law, specifically categorized as a first-degree felony.
In an interview with WomenVoices on Thursday, Deputy Chief of Security Davis provided a detailed account of the incident and the events that followed. “My daughter was taken to the hospital because she said she was tampered with by a fellow by the name of Bryant McGill, the Deputy Minister for Youth Development [at Liberia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports]. She was taken to the hospital and the medical report states that she was tampered with. And that’s how we took the matter to central (Headquarters of the Liberia National Police),” Davis stated.
According to Davis, the survivor lives with her aunt, who operates a canteen at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. On the evening of August 30, he received a call from her aunt at approximately 10:00 PM informing him that the girl (survivor) had been missing since leaving their Paynesville home at 5:00 PM to deliver fever leaf to the restaurant at the ministry. After an urgent search, Davis and his sister located the survivor returning home on a motorcycle. The motorcyclist confirmed he had picked her up from the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex, the site of the ministry, and was paid LD$50 for the trip.
Upon confrontation, the girl initially hesitated to disclose her whereabouts before revealing the assault. Davis: “When I got to the house, I met her on the stairs. I was angry and asked where she came from at that hour. She was looking at me so I said if you don’t tell me where you are coming from I will beat you. She said ‘When I tell you, you will beat me. I said you just have to tell me. Following their exchanges, his sister got involved in questioning the survivor as to where she went. “She said I am from the complex (Ministry of Youth and Sports).”
Davis recounted: “She said, ‘There was a man who forced me and have me.’ We said who is that man and she said they call him Uncle Bryant.” The survivor identified the alleged perpetrator as Bryant McGill and reported that he had destroyed her undergarments to assault her. “When she lifted her clothes, I saw the mark,” Davis told WomenVoices. The case was immediately reported to the Zone 8 Police Depot in ELWA that same night.
According to him, the survivor was questioned by the police but they (the police) advised that they proceed to the hospital for he checkup the next day, because it was after 11:00 PM. The following day, August 31, the survivor was taken to a hospital for examination. Davis confirmed that medical professionals found evidence of sexual assault but declined to release the reports directly to the family. “The doctor informed him they don’t give reports to rape survivors’ families because they sometimes compromise the case,” Davis explained. The medical findings were instead forwarded directly to the police.
The survivor, along with her aunt and the aunt’s daughter, was later questioned at the LNP headquarters. Davis stated that investigators informed him the case would be pursued starting from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He remains unaware of any subsequent developments but is awaiting official updates.
Awkwardly Engaged By McGill:
Davis also alleged that Deputy Minister McGill contacted him shortly after the report surfaced—first to deny the allegations and threaten legal action, and later to apologize and propose a private settlement. “Days later, Deputy Minister McGill called him to apologize and further asked that we settle the matter privately because of his role in government.”
Expressing fear for his safety, Davis revealed he has not been staying at home due to McGill’s reactions. He also accused McGill of attempting to financially induce him to drop the case. He is now calling on women’s rights activists and the public to support his family’s quest for justice. “Rape is a crime and is not something to put under the carpet,” Davis emphasized. He also appealed to the police to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation.
No public statement has been issued by Deputy Minister Bryant McGill regarding the rape allegations. However, the Liberia National Police has yet to release an official update on the status of the investigation but says it is under investigation.
Sexual violence experienced during the Liberian civil war still permeates all levels of society. Sexual violence cases hit a high of 2,708 in 2019, and 2,240 in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting former President George Weah to declare rape a national emergency. According to the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection’s annual statistical report on gender-based violence (GBV), some 1,975 cases were reported in 2022, 73.7% of which were rape, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual violations
Taking Leave of Absence:
On Thursday Deputy Minister for Youth Development J. Bryant McGill took a leave of absence from his post at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The move comes amid an ongoing investigation into allegations of misconduct.
In a statement, the Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed that McGill requested leave “to avoid any perception of interference” with the investigation. His request has been forwarded to the office of President Joseph Boakai for approval. The ministry reiterated its commitment to full cooperation with law enforcement and urged the public and media to respect the investigative process.
Liberia is a party to numerous international human rights treaties and instruments including the UN Resolution 1325, which obligates the Government to address sexual and other forms of gender-based violence. The government, with support from international partners and civil society groups, passed the Rape Act (2005) and the Domestic Violence Act (2019), both of which increased the penalties for rape and other sexual offenses. The government also established a specialized court, Court E, to exclusively prosecute cases of sexual violence and developed a national action plan to prevent and respond to sexual and other forms of gender-based violence (SGBV).
In 2019, the government welcomed the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative against SGBV which uses a transformative, evidence-based approach to address the unequal power dynamics between men and women to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. The initiative bolstered the Government of Liberia’s capacity to deal with SGBV and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. It has also established more robust institutional frameworks to enhance services provided to survivors. The programme has supported the establishment of the country’s first modern Forensic Pathology Laboratory to strengthen adjudication of SGBV cases using solid forensic, scientific evidence.
