The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Rule of Law, Louis Aucoin, has hailed the launch of a nationwide campaign to fight child rape as a momentous step in efforts to fight “a terrible scourge.”

The campaign was launched by the Vice Chairman of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, (INCHR) Boakai Dukuly, on Human Rights Day, 10 December.

Dukuly said the INCHR will work as part of a coalition of government and civil society organizations including the Liberian Human Rights Defenders, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia and the Ministry of Gender and Development.

“I cannot begin to express my joy when I received the information that these groups have   decided to celebrate this day around a theme that is very close to my heart,” said Aucoin.

Earlier in 2012, Aucoin spearheaded a joint initiative by UNMIL and the government of Liberia to fight child rape. The UN envoy chaired a retreat which he said was aimed at “awakening Liberia’s civil society institutions to the depth of this problem.”

 “Today I am very encouraged to see that this is occurring,” he said. The national theme of the 2012 Human Rights Day was ‘Break the silence on child rape in Liberia’. “One of the reasons why cases involving children are never brought to justice is just because the silence has not been broken,” he said. “Many times, cases of child rape are treated as a family matter and too often a child has to take the blame. Not the perpetrator. The experience can harm the child for life creating a pattern of violence.”

The UN envoy called for a different approach to the care of children who have suffered rape. He said their special needs should be addressed differently from that of adult victims of rape. “We have to see the children, listen to what they have to say and let them take part in the dialogue.”

 “Much work remains but being here today, witnessing the launch of this very important campaign with so many actors participating shows that we have come a long way already.  Today we can let the children’s voices be heard. Together we can break the silence,” Aucoin concluded.