By Precious D. Freeman
A 46-year-old man and a former contractor at the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) identified as Kelvin Jerry Dureng, has been forwarded to the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) by the Monrovia City Court Magistrate L. Ben Barco for allegedly raping a minor in the Old Road Community.
The incident happened on April 21, 2024, but since then, defendant Dureng has been on the run.
Defendant Dureng was arrested on December 19, 2024, charged and acquainted with his Miranda rights and duly investigated, forwarded to court by the Liberia National Police (LNP) for the crime of rape.
According to police charge sheet, defendant Dureng action is in violation 14.70 (a) (i) & (b) of the Rae Law of Liberia.
During an interview with the survivor, she narrated that, on April 21, 2024, her Uncle Kelvin Jerry Dureng called her grandma by phone requesting them to visit him; at the evening hours they went to his home.
The survivor averred that, when they were about to go back home, defendant Dureng, her uncle pleaded with her grandmother that the victim should stay with him to take care of his five years old daughter and his mother (her grandma) agreed.
According to the survivor, when it was that night that the defendant had sex with her on three different occasions by inserting his penis in her vagina and later cut her hairs with sabu and when her grandmother came for her, she asked her (survivor) what was happening to her but she never said a word until they got home before she told her grandmother how defendant Dureng been having sex with her.
As for defendant Dureng, he denies having sexual intercourse with the victim but admitted that, his mother Dolly Amatchin left the victim with him to take care of his five years old daughter and on the first night, he had a dream that the victim slept in his room, she started to performed by suppressing his destiny so he carried her to a deliverance minister who cut her hairs.
The following facts were established during the investigation; that the survivor is 13 years old while defendant Dureng is 46 years old as the defendant had access over the survivor.
Witnesses Amatchin and Decontee Fahnbulleh statements corroborated in that they said since the incident took place in April 2024 the defendant has been on the run and it was established that the survivor and the defendant were in contact the day of the incident April 21, 2024.
It was also established that the defendant since the incident, defendant Dureng fled his home until he was arrested on December 19, 2024.
Police charge indicated that the defendant intentionally, knowingly, willingly abused the survivor, as the medical report from J.D.J. confirmed abnormal redness seen on the both side of the vagina wall.
Based on the facts and circumstances established during the investigation, the
Investigator has resolved and charged defendant Dureng with the commissioned of the crime Rape in violation of Section 14.70 1 (a)(i) & (b) OF THE RAPE LAW OF LIBERIA, and forwarded to Court.
Defendant Dureng arrest came as a result of a Writ of Arrest issued from the Monrovia City Court which states that:
“You are hereby commanded to ARREST the living body (ies) of Kelvin Jerry Dureng, to be identified defendant(s) and forthwith bring him before the Monrovia City Court, Temple of Justice, Montserrado County to answer the Charge of, Rape Based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by and thru Dolly T. Amutch Private Prosecutor (trix).
