The Assistant Minister for Social Protection, Maminah Garlou Carr-Gaye has expressed disappointment in the Zone One Depot 1 for compromising a criminal case involving a kid and 30 years old woman at the community level.
Over the weekend, Bana FM reported a story about a 30 years old woman, Massa Fallay who admitted to burning a nine years old boy with hot cook spoon in the Borough of New Kru Town. The woman claimed was done unintentionally and pleaded for mercy.
The nine-year-old victim has been calling for the arrest, investigation and imprisonment of Massa if found guilty for her act.
In an interview with a local radio station in Monrovia, Minister Carr-Gaye said the Liberia National Police was expected to have referred the case to the court considering the pains and condition of the victim.
Madam Gaye is the Assistant Gender Minister for Children and Social Protection.
According to her, this is not about the Liberian Government looking for prisoners but to send a caveat to other would-be doers.
Min. Gaye questioned the basis on which the LNP released the perpetrator, adding that she had earlier created an awareness urging community and church leaders to stop interfering into cases of such, including rap
Madam Carr-Gaye disclosed that she has instructed the Women and Children Division at the Zone One Depot One though its Deputy Commander to rearrest the perpetrator.
“I told the police to rearrest, reregister and forward the case to court,” she said.
She added that her office will continue follow-up with the police to ensure that the mandate is implemented.
According to her, the Ministry of Gender expects nothing less than a drastic action from the court when the matter is arraigned before it.
“This will send out a strong signal to other unscrupulous individuals and to show the government’s seriousness,” the minister asserted.
Madam Carr-Gaye said the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has observed that many persons intentionally abuse children and go with impunity because the matter is usually settled at the community level.
She also refutes claims by some parents that the Gender Ministry is always interfering with child discipline but stressed that the Ministry is concerned about the form of discipline on a child.
According to her, a parent or guardian cannot be attempting to kill a child and call it a discipline, nothing that there are other forms of discipline including seizing the kids’ phones and sending them to bed among others.
“That woman’s action was barbaric, premeditated and bad to the extent that she had to take the child to another house, lighted the plastic and made the cook spoon hot to use it on his body,” Min. Carr-Gaye observed.
The Assistant Gender Minister described Massa Fallay, the perpetrator as a wicked person that must pay for her action.
However, Assistant Minister said the victim was temporarily taken to a center where children who come in conflict with the law are taken due the risk associated with his condition, while investigation into the matter continues.
She added that while the kid is at the center, the government will find out from the mother whether she can provide proper care and protection for her child.
The Minister averred that the mother is unable, the government will look within the family for a better kingship but if no kingship, the Gender Ministry will then be thinking about other institutions like the SOS.
She stressed that if every applied failed, the Liberian Government will put the victim into foster care, indicating that a foster care is where other parents express interest to register with government to foster a child.
