A new United Nations human rights report on Liberia says that violence against women persists in the country.
Covering the period between August and October 2006, the report pays particular attention to the fact that the Rape Amendment Act is not yet adequately implemented by the national authorities charged with the investigation, prosecution and trial of suspects, despite clear legislative provisions.
The report says that “the very small number of cases indicted and tried to date is an indicator that far more needs to be done to ensure that the various institutions of justice coordinate to address rape as a crime and as a human rights violation.”
The report also notes that women and girls in some areas of Liberia remain at risk of female genital mutilation.