Liberia Recorded 2,759 SGBV Cases in 10 Months: FACT-CHECK Initiative Substantiate Koijee’s Claim

Monrovia, Liberia: Liberia’s most reliable fact-check initiative under the auspices of Local Voices has corroborated the claim made by the former Mayor of Monrovia, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, that between the period of January and October 2024, Liberia recorded 2,759 cases of sexual gender-based violence, with Montserrado County accounting for 1,902 cases, amounting to a percentage of 68.7. 

The fact-checking desk, which is being run by Local Voices Liberia, is the first major fact-checking initiative and has been operating since June 2021.

The group is engaged with tracking and fact-checking a variety of information or fake news that has been circulating in social and mainstream media.

Koijee’s claim, made on May 11, 2025, in a Facebook podcast, pointed fingers at the justice system and service providers for allegedly failing survivors of rape and other SGBV-related offenses.

He accused the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection as his source for the alarming statistics.

“For SGBV cases, from January to October in 2024, there were 2,759 rape cases, according to the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.   Montserrado County accounts for 1,902,” Koijee stated.

Koijee revealed that a thorough review of official reports confirms that his figures are accurate. The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection’s data for 2024 corroborates the numbers, with Montserrado consistently accounting for the highest share of reported SGBV incidents during that ten-month period.

Montserrado County, home to the capital and Liberia’s largest population, continues to report the highest SGBV caseloads due to a combination of urban crowding, limited policing, social stigma, and inadequate victim support services.

Civil society organizations and women’s rights advocates have long warned about the need for stronger prevention strategies and faster prosecution of SGBV cases. The latest statistics only confirm that those warnings remain unheeded.

Despite legal frameworks like the Domestic Violence Act and the National Anti-SGBV Roadmap, enforcement remains weak. Survivors still struggle with access to medical care, safe housing, and fair judicial processes. In many cases, perpetrators walk free due to lack of evidence or prolonged court delays.

In light of the confirmed statistics, there is growing pressure on the government to scale up its response. Activists are calling for greater funding, awareness campaigns, and stronger partnerships between communities, police, and service providers.

While the numbers are grim, Koijee’s claim has brought renewed urgency to the national conversation. The confirmation of the data serves as a call to action—one that demands more than rhetoric but real, sustainable change to protect women and children across Liberia.