MONROVIA-A 46-year-old man has been convicted of statutory rape after a jury at Criminal Court "E" found him guilty of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Monrovia, in a case that has drawn public attention to the ongoing fight against sexual violence against minors.
The verdict against Grawfar Tokpah, also known as Augustine Tokpa Yah, was returned on September 14, 2026, following several days of arguments from both the prosecution and defense before a 12-member jury panel at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
Tokpah was accused of repeatedly having sexual intercourse with the minor in his room in the Mamba Point community between 2023 and 2024, an area known as a densely populated residential community in central Monrovia.
Prosecutors told the jury that Tokpah exploited the girl's vulnerability by allegedly luring her into his room under the pretext of watching movies while her mother was away from the home. According to the indictment, the accused and the victim lived in the same house, a situation the prosecution argued gave him easy access to the child.
The prosecution further relied on statements Tokpah reportedly made during a police investigation, in which he admitted having sexual intercourse with the minor on several occasions. The prosecution presented that confession as a key piece of evidence corroborating the victim's account.
A medical report issued by the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital on May 7, 2024, was also presented as documentary evidence during the trial. The report, according to court records, was used to support the allegation that the minor had been sexually abused, although details of the medical findings were not disclosed in open court for privacy reasons.
But the defense mounted a strong challenge to the prosecution's case, urging jurors not to convict Tokpah on assumptions, hearsay or emotionally charged arguments.
Public defenders assigned to the case argued that the prosecution was required to establish every element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt, as required under Liberian criminal law. They also objected to portions of the prosecution's closing argument, contending that references to the victim's family circumstances were intended to influence the jury's emotions rather than prove the facts of the case.
Despite the defense's objections and its call for acquittal, the jury returned a guilty verdict, with one juror reportedly abstaining from the decision. The majority of jurors found that the prosecution had met the legal burden of proof.
The conviction was handed down under Liberia's amended Rape Law of 2006, which provides that any sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 18, regardless of consent, constitutes statutory rape. The prosecution maintained that the evidence presented in court, including the alleged admission and medical report, met the legal threshold for conviction.
The case underscores the continuing scrutiny of Liberia's courts in prosecuting sexual offenses involving minors, where the law places particular emphasis on protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse. Cases involving children are treated as non-bailable and carry severe penalties.
The court is expected to determine the appropriate punishment under Liberia's rape law, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for statutory rape involving a child under 13, bringing the case into its final judicial phase.