Monrovia, Liberia - First Lady Clar Marie Weah has welcomed the outcome of a judicial process in which seven men, on trial for the December 2018 gang-rape and murder of three women in Sinoe County were adjudged guilty.  

On Friday, August 30, 2019, a 12-member jury at the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Bassa County handed down a guilty verdict against the seven men for multiple crimes including gang-rape, murder, aggravated assault, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.

Mrs. Weah, who had earlier condemned the Sinoe incident, described the manhandling of the three women, resulting in the death of one as not just a violation of the victims’ human rights but also an affront to womanhood.

In a statement issued Monday, September 2, 2019, Mrs. Weah said ‘the conviction of the seven out of ten defendants must send a strong message down the spine of would-be perpetrators of violence against women that they will not go unpunished’.

The First Lady said the guilty verdict would not only deter others but also restore the hope and public confidence in the rule of law, commending the court and other actors who worked to ensure justice in the matter.  

Mrs. Weah, however, reaffirmed her commitment to the empowerment of women and the protection of their rights through her flagship program, ‘She’s You Movement’.

It can be recalled, that the three women were stripped in Johnny’s Town, Kpanyan District, on allegations of being “witches” in connection to the death of a three-month-old baby who was discovered dead after a period of being missing. 

In a video of the incident, which went viral on social media, the women were seen stripped, tortured and paraded throughout Johnny’s Town.