AFL Dismisses Two Soldiers Over Viral Assault Video; Rights Commission Calls for Criminal Probe
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The Armed Forces of Liberia dishonorably discharged two sergeants after a video showed a woman being beaten. The human rights commission says dismissal is not the same as criminal accountability.
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) has dishonorably discharged two sergeants following a video that circulated widely online and showed a young woman being assaulted, according to FrontPage Africa.
The discharge took place on Wednesday, 21 October, at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia. The two men, Sgt. Robert P. Menyon and Sgt. Abu S.B. Sheriff, were assigned to the 23rd Infantry Brigade. The video reportedly shows one soldier hitting the woman while the other stands nearby.
AFL Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Davidson F. Forleh condemned the conduct and said the action responded to "unprofessional conduct involving a woman." FrontPage Africa reports that he also ordered police officers to handcuff the two men.
The woman, identified only as Blessing, told the paper the incident began when soldiers chased boys who had been playing football in her community. She alleged she was beaten while holding her baby. She also said the soldiers later apologized and that she forgave them, though she wanted them punished.
Separately, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), led by Acting Chairperson Cllr. Mohammed E. Fahnbulleh, welcomed the dismissal as a first step but said it is an administrative action, "not criminal accountability," according to the Liberian Observer. The commission called for an independent investigation by police and the Justice Ministry, and for the AFL to cover the victim's medical and rehabilitation needs.
Neither report says whether a criminal case has been opened.