LNP Investigates Senior Officer Over Alleged Rape of Pregnant Inmate

By Lincoln G. Peters

Monrovia, Liberia, March 17, 2026 – The Liberia National Police (LNP) has launched an urgent investigation into serious allegations of sexual assault by a senior officer assigned to the Margibi County Police Detachment.

The alleged victim, a 24-year-old woman, claims the incident occurred after she was detained at the Wohn Police Station on Saturday, March 14, following a dispute with her boyfriend.

According to her account, the dispute began when she struck her boyfriend three times with a stick during a fight. He later took her to the police station, where her brother and other relatives volunteered to guarantee her appearance the following day. However, Sgt. Dolo allegedly insisted she remain in police custody overnight.

The woman said she was given an office at the station to sleep in. Later that night, she alleges, Sgt. Dolo came to check on her and told her the room was unsafe, instructing her to move to another nearby room.

“While I was lying down and almost asleep, he came and lay behind me and started touching me in a way I didn’t like,” she recounted. “I told him, ‘Uncle, stop, I don’t like what you are doing to me,’ but he continued.”

She further alleges the officer then forced a bedspread into her mouth and assaulted her.

“He stuffed the cloth in my mouth and choked my neck while raping me,” she said. “I later found myself at the clinic and didn’t even know how I got there.”

According to the woman, she regained consciousness at the Wohn clinic, where nurses questioned how she had arrived. She said the officer allegedly tried to persuade medical staff to release her into his custody, but the nurses refused due to her pregnancy and concerns about possible complications.

Since the incident, the woman says she has suffered trauma and has faced threats and public insults from community members who accuse her of fabricating the allegations.

In a press release, the LNP confirmed that, according to initial information, the allegation was made by a female suspect who had been in police custody after being charged with aggravated assault in connection with an incident involving her husband.

The LNP statement added that while in detention, the woman reported that the officer responsible for her custody allegedly entered her cell during the night, moved her to another room containing a mattress, and attempted to engage her in inappropriate conduct. When she resisted, the officer allegedly used force—including pressing a bedsheet against her neck—and then sexually assaulted her.

The accused officer has categorically denied the allegations. Nevertheless, in accordance with the Liberia National Police’s zero-tolerance policy for abuse of authority and misconduct, the officer has been placed in custody and turned over to the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, according to the LNP.

The LNP further assured the public that any officer found to have violated the law or breached the trust placed in the institution will be held fully accountable under Liberian law and established disciplinary procedures.

The release emphasized that individuals in police custody are entitled to dignity, protection, and full respect for their human rights, and that the LNP takes any allegation of abuse within its facilities with the utmost seriousness.

The investigation remains ongoing. The Liberia National Police has pledged to keep the public informed as the process unfolds and reiterated its commitment to professional policing, accountability, and the protection of all persons under its care.