-Mother Who Lost Three Children Pleads for Help
NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia — Mercy Giah, the 26-year-old mother whose three young children were killed by her own mother in Nimba County, has broken her silence to appeal for moral, emotional, and financial support as she struggles to rebuild her life.
Nearly three months after the killings, Mercy says she feels abandoned—not only by the wider community but also by local feminist advocacy groups and humanitarian organizations. She told WomenVoices News that no outreach or public solidarity has reached her since the tragedy, deepening her isolation as she grieves alone.
“There’s nowhere else for me to go, and no one to talk to me,” Mercy said. The state alleges that Mary Giah, 56, slit the throats of her own grandchildren while they slept, using a razor blade and a knife. The victims were Mewaseh Giah, 6; Marvelous Zainsaye, 4; and Alvina Tokpah, 2. The attack occurred on February 22, 2026, in Mehnla Town, Nimba’s Electoral District #9.
During police interrogation, the elder Giah admitted to the act, claiming she killed the children to “prove she is a witch physically” and said a demonic spirit drove her.
On Monday, May 18, 2026, Mary Giah pleaded guilty before the 8th Judicial Circuit Court in Sanniquellie. The court is scheduled to deliver its final judgment on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. She faces a possible life sentence.
Speaking Wednesday at her aunt Albertha Peters’ residence in Sanniquellie, Mercy described the loss as unimaginable. “I feel bad because I wasn’t expecting her to do this to me,” she said. Mercy said she had no known conflict with her mother and had never observed signs of mental illness or unusual behavior toward the children before the attack.
Since the killings, Mercy said she struggles to sleep and cannot regain stability. She relies entirely on her aunt, Albertha Peters, for daily support, but resources remain limited. Mercy also expressed frustration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. She said the ministry provided no counseling and discharged her from a Safe Home in Sanniquellie after her permitted stay expired, without considering the severity of her trauma or her ongoing need for protection.
“They didn’t think about where I would go or how I would cope,” she said. Mercy said she cannot return to Mehnla Town. She hopes to relocate to Sanniquellie or another part of Liberia, but she needs help. She is asking for a safe place of her own, vocational training, and startup money for a small business. “I need help,” she pleaded.
Her aunt, Albertha Peters, said Mercy remains deeply broken and emotionally unstable. “She is downhearted. She needs support. She needs financial support. Anyone who can help her should please come to her aid,” Peters said. “I always tell her to keep holding on because this is not the end of her life.”
Peters also disclosed that community members had accused Mary Giah of witchcraft in recent years, though she said she never personally witnessed strange behavior from her before the killings. Authorities have not provided evidence to support those claims.
For support, contact Albertha Peters at:
+231888863686 / +231778901476
