MONROVIA, Liberia – The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is calling for urgent government action and judicial accountability following a surge in gang rapes across the country, including attacks on victims as young as 12.
WONGOSOL, which coordinates more than 250 women-led organizations nationwide, has condemned what it describes as a “disturbing national pattern” of sexual violence following at least five major incidents reported in recent weeks—including attacks on children as young as 12 and an alleged gang rape involving ten suspects.
“This is disheartening,” Esther S. D. Yango, Executive Director of WONGOSOL said. “Gang rape is not just a crime against individual survivors; it is a failure of our systems to protect women and children. Liberia has the laws, the commitments, and the institutions—what is required now is firm enforcement, survivor-centered responses, and zero tolerance for sexual violence.”
In Lofa County’s remote Lukasu Town, a 12-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by two suspects who have since been arrested and are being investigated by the Women and Children Protection Section. Meanwhile, in Voinjama, also in Lofa County, five individuals now face charges in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 21-year-old woman.
Perhaps most alarming is an attack in Zubah Town, Payneville City, where a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by ten men. While three suspects are in custody, seven remain at large. The teenager is receiving medical care at John F. Kennedy Medical Center, but WONGOSOL warns that such survivors require far more comprehensive support.
“There must be comprehensive medical, psychosocial, and legal support,” the organization stated, calling on women’s institutions, philanthropists, and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection to ensure survivors are not abandoned after the initial crisis.
In a development that has shaken public trust in law enforcement, a Liberia National Police officer in Grand Bassa County is under investigation for allegedly raping an underage girl in the Biafra Community. The case has raised serious concerns about accountability and abuse of power within state security institutions.
WONGOSOL has demanded that any officer implicated in sexual violence face the full weight of the law, emphasizing that the police must strengthen professionalism and survivor-centered responses.
Amid the grim reports, one case offers a glimmer of hope: in Monrovia’s Po-River Community, seven men were convicted and sentenced for the gang sodomy of a 17-year-old boy. WONGOSOL noted that the case “demonstrates that justice is possible when institutions act decisively and enforce the law without fear or favor.”
Liberia is not lacking in legal protections. The Revised Penal Code criminalizes rape, gang rape, and sexual abuse of minors. The Domestic Violence Act of 2019 recognizes sexual violence as a grave offense, and the Children’s Law guarantees protection for minors. Internationally, Liberia is bound by CEDAW, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Maputo Protocol, among other commitments.
Yet WONGOSOL argues that these laws mean little without enforcement. The organization is calling on the Ministries of Justice and Gender, the Judiciary, and the Liberia National Police to ensure that all perpetrators are fully investigated and prosecuted, regardless of status or affiliation.
Beyond government action, WONGOSOL is urging communities to take collective responsibility. Parents must provide guidance and supervision, neighbors must report suspicious behavior, and traditional, religious, and community leaders must actively support prevention initiatives. “Ending gang rape requires collective vigilance and zero tolerance for abuse,” the organization emphasized.
Established in 1998, the Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) coordinates over 250 women-led organizations across all 15 counties of Liberia. The organization advocates for women’s rights, promotes gender equality, strengthens women’s political participation, advances peacebuilding, and supports access to justice and protection for women and girls nationwide.
