Johnsonville, Montserrado County – A wave of shock and outrage has gripped the Johnsonville community following a disturbing case of alleged child abuse in Kpelleh Town.
According to eyewitnesses and preliminary police reports, a 10-year-old boy was viciously tortured by his uncle, identified only as Daniel, a man of Guinean Kpelle origin, who allegedly used razor blade to inflict cuts on the boy and then rubbed pepper into the open wounds.
The incident reportedly took place in the early hours of Sunday morning. Disturbingly, the suspect is said to have sent the child to purchase the razor blades and pepper the very items allegedly used in the abuse.
Upon the boy’s return, Daniel allegedly locked him inside their home and subjected him to a brutal assault, which included beatings and the inhumane application of pepper into his fresh wounds.
The act, reportedly motivated by accusations of theft against the child, has sparked intense anger within the local community.
The case is currently under investigation by the Liberia National Police at the Turning Point Depot in Johnsonville. However, community members have expressed concerns to Verity News that the suspect may be attempting to interfere with the investigation.
In response, residents are calling on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to swiftly intervene. They are demanding that the child receive urgent medical and psychosocial support, and that justice be served without delay.
“This kind of cruelty cannot go unpunished,” one resident said. “We’re counting on the government to ensure this child is protected and that the perpetrator faces the full weight of the law.”
As the investigation continues, advocacy groups and rights activists are also urging stronger enforcement of child protection laws to prevent such barbaric acts from recurring in Liberian communities.
