MSF urges Liberia rape victims to seek help

We see that women are raped and are not coming to the hospital. The children are coming, but the adults are hesitant.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Monday launched a campaign in Liberia to encourage more rape victims to seek treatment in hospital.

The head of MSF's sexual violence program in Liberia, Theresa Saday, said MSF clinics and hospitals alone see 60 to 70 rape cases each month -- more higher than the 20 to 25 the Liberian government says are reported monthly.

- Some 80 percent of our cases are children and 20 percent are adults - Saday said, adding there are many other victims who are reluctant to seek help for fear of stigmatisation.

- We see that women are raped and are not coming to the hospital - she said. - The children are coming, but the adults are hesitant.-

To encourage victims to come forward, the month-long MSF campaign -- titled "Rape is a hospital and clinic business" -- to educate the public about free medical and psychological treatment available at its clinics.

So far, Saday said, the charity has helped more than 650 survivors of sexual abuse, more than three-quarters of whom were under 18 years of age.

- We treat the children and we help the parents when it comes to emotional support, because in these cases the parents are more traumatized than the children - she said.