Guidance

Information for survivors of rape and sexual assault in Liberia

Updated 2 February 2026

If you’ve been sexually assaulted, it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

This information is provided to help British nationals overseas make informed decisions about whether and how to:

• seek medical advice and attention
• report to local police
• engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault overseas

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

First steps

It is your choice about what you do next, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s international emergency number on +44 20 7136 6857
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact the British Embassy Monrovia +231(0) 777 530 320 / https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-monrovia. Embassy staff will be empathetic, and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish

If you want to report the incident to the police in Liberia

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you do not have a tour operator and you would like assistance from the British Embassy, we will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

You can call the Liberian police by calling 911 or +231 (0) 770 800 911, or go to any law enforcement officer on the street or nearest police station. You can ask the police to inform the British Embassy on +231 (0) 777 530 320 and the Embassy can offer you consular support.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained. Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts.

Tell the police if you think you were drugged.

Insist on getting a police report.

Extramarital sex and homosexuality are not crimes in Liberia, and the law in Liberia recognises that men can also be victims of rape. However, there is strong cultural bias against homosexuality, so it would be advisable to be accompanied by a trusted person with you when reporting such incidents.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Liberia

The British Embassy will be able to help you. This includes helping you to contact your insurance company or contact your family, making arrangements for you to travel back to the UK and/or provide you with information on local support in the UK. They can provide you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators.

If you are travelling with one, you can also report the incident to your tour operator and ask them for assistance. If you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital. If you wish, and depending on location and timing, a member of consular staff may also be able to accompany you.

If you do not intend to report the crime, this should not prevent you from seeking medical help. Medical care is available free of charge to all survivors, even if they choose not to come forward or make a formal report. However, the hospital or One Stop Centre is required to share basic details with the police, who will then seek your consent before taking any further action.

You do not have to report the crime in-country for it to be investigated. However, the chances of a successful prosecution are higher if you do so.

It is your choice on whether to report the crime. If you don’t report it, your case may not be investigated.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

The support available to you, and your access to justice, may vary according to where you report the crime.

If you are a British national and you need help to report the crime, you can contact the British Embassy in Monrovia or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London.

If you do not report the crime in the country where it happened and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police. The UK police should send the information you provide to the country where the crime happened. However, it is for foreign police forces to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK. They may still send some details of the crime to police in the country where it happened. This might be necessary in order to protect vulnerable people, or to stop more crimes being committed.

The medical examination: what to expect

All hospitals can provide medical treatment to victims of rape and sexual assault. However, certain hospitals host One Stop Centres, where staff are specially trained to collect forensic and medical evidence required for investigation and prosecution. There are five approved One Stop Centres in and around Monrovia where victims can seek comprehensive medical care and support. These hospitals are:

• James Davis Hospital in Nezo community

• Duport Road Clinic in Duport Road

• Hope for Women Hospital at A.B. Tolbert Road

•  The Star of the Sea Hospital in West Point

• Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town

All other medical facilities have been advised to refer rape and sexual assault cases to the 5 approved One Stop Centres. Other counties in Liberia have their own designated One Stop Centres. For advice on finding the nearest One Stop Centre, calls should be directed to the Liberian Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) hotlines +231 (0)770800073, +231 (0)770800131 or +231 (0)770800172.

The medical examination will be carried out by specially trained healthcare professionals. It may include the collection of swabs, blood and urine samples, an examination of any external injuries, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). No photographs will be taken; instead, any injuries will be documented using a medical diagram.

One Stop Centres automatically report the results of any examination to the Women and Children Department of the Police. The department provides a copy of the medical report to the survivor and retains the original, together with preliminary findings. These are then submitted through the Ministry of Justice to a dedicated prosecutor for further consideration.

Each One Stop Centre is likely to have both male and female police officers from the Women and Children Department. However, if a female officer is not available, you may request to be referred or transferred to another One Stop Centre where one is available.

The British Embassy will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

Treatment

Hospital medical staff can give you advice on Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) medication, a treatment that may prevent HIV infection. This medication is available in local pharmacies around Monrovia. Please see our list of medical services providers for a list of pharmacies.

HIV PEP medication needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. The NHS may be able to commence or continue the 28-day treatment on return to the UK.

Emergency contraception is available at One Stop Centres free of charge. The Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia also provides free contraception to women in Liberia. Emergency contraception needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

Treatment and tests at the One Stop Centres are free of charge in Liberia. They are paid for by the Government of Liberia and donors. At private hospitals (outside the approved centres) you would have to cover the cost yourself.

If you have had medication administered overseas, you should keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you can let your local health provider know when you return home.

Police investigations in Liberia – what to expect

Investigations into rape and sexual assault cases are led by the police. Judges are involved only where judicial authorisation is required, such as for the issuance of search warrants, and during court proceedings if the case proceeds to trial.

As part of their investigation, the police will ask whether you had consumed alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident. The consumption of alcohol is not a criminal offence in Liberia. However, the consumption of narcotic drugs is classified as a misdemeanour for a first offence and escalates to a second‑degree felony upon a second offence. The possession of narcotic drugs is a criminal offence.

It is unlikely that a survivor of rape or sexual assault who voluntarily consumed drugs would be charged for that consumption, as the police are generally focused on investigating the alleged rape or sexual assault. However, where a rape or sexual assault is reported to have occurred while the survivor was intoxicated or under the influence of self‑administered narcotics, there is a risk that the report may regrettably not be treated with the seriousness it deserves by the police or justice system.

The police aim to avoid re‑traumatising you.They will usually not ask you to return to the scene of the incident. Instead, they will ask you to describe the location and will carry out their own investigation or, where necessary, conduct a raid.

If a suspect is arrested, the police will take photos and ask you to identify them. Formal identification line‑ups are uncommon and are usually conducted only if you are unable to identify the suspect from photographs.

If the police can establish probable cause quickly, a magistrate will issue a writ of arrest. The suspect must be brought before the magistrate within 48 hours. In Liberia, rape suspects cannot be granted bail, so the magistrate will send them to prison while waiting for the grand jury’s indictment and the trial. Trials are generally slow.

The prosecutor may request a further interview with you, although this is not mandatory, as your initial police statement is usually sufficient. Following an indictment by the grand jury, the prosecutor may assist in preparing your testimony. Testimony can be given via an audio link or through your legal representative. Victims are treated as state witnesses, and legal representation is provided at no cost, unless you choose to engage a private lawyer at your own expense.

You are free to leave Liberia at any time. You will not be investigated unless the police believe your report was false.

Court procedures

You may need to testify in person. If so, the court will use a screen to prevent you from seeing the accused. Liberian courts currently do not have the technology for remote court appearances, so you may need to return to Liberia for the trial.

Even if you do not have a lawyer, prosecutors must keep you informed of the process. Because prosecutors often have heavy workloads, you may choose to hire your own lawyer at your own expense.

If further investigation is needed, the police may interview you more than once. Sometimes evidence of rape is not immediately clear. If you leave Liberia, the police may continue follow‑up by phone.

You cannot personally drop the charges once they are filed because crimes in Liberia are considered crimes against the state, not the individual. Only the state can drop the case. Even if your cooperation is no longer required, the state may continue the prosecution.

Legal consequences for victims are generally only possible if you are formally subpoenaed and fail to appear. Failure to comply with a subpoena may be treated as contempt of court. However, prosecutors typically seek to avoid taking steps that could cause further distress or re‑traumatisation to victims.

In addition to prison, the court may order the offender to pay a fine or compensate the victim.

An accused person may also bring a civil case against the victim or ask the government to investigate the victim if the accusation is shown to be false and malicious.

Taking case to trial

You do not need to file any paperwork to take your case to trial as long as the rape or sexual assault has been reported to the Ministry of Justice.

You only need to report the rape or sexual assault. After that, the government prosecutor will decide if there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. Because prosecutors often have heavy workloads, you may choose to hire your own lawyer. If you hire a private lawyer to prosecute the case independently, the lawyer must get a letter from the Ministry of Justice allowing them to act as a government prosecutor.

Trial procedures

Once an indictment is issued, the prosecutor will inform you that your case is going to trial and will tell you the date. Trials in Liberia are held in English.

You are not required to attend every stage of the trial. However, if your testimony is needed, you will be required to return to Liberia and remain until both the prosecution and the defence have completed their questioning. You may choose to attend the entire trial if you wish to do so.

If you need to return to Liberia for the trial, the state may offer travel support as you are a state witness. However, this is unlikely because the justice system depends heavily on outside funding. Whether support is given depends on government priorities and international pressure.

Liberia has a specialised court dedicated to handling sexual and gender‑based violence cases, with the aim of expediting proceedings. However, despite this, cases often take approximately two years to reach trial.

Trial length varies, but most trials last about 6 months. Sentencing happens about one week after the verdict. Defendants have 72 hours to appeal to the Supreme Court, but they may appeal only once.

The law says that if a case does not go to trial within 2 court terms (6 months), the charges should be dismissed. In practice, this rarely happens because the court understands that delays are usually caused by case backlogs, not by weaknesses in the case.

Hiring a lawyer

Hiring a private lawyer can help ensure the prosecutor takes your case seriously and may offer better representation than a court‑appointed lawyer. However, private lawyers can be expensive.

There are many law firms in Monrovia that offer general legal services. Some have experience with rape and sexual assault cases. The British Embassy can provide a list of lawyers.

Communication

If you do not want to hire a private lawyer, the government is required to keep you informed at all stages of the investigation. The prosecutor is required to communicate with you regularly to inform you of the progress of the case. Prior to that an officer from the Women and Children Department of the Police will be responsible for communications with you and this relationship is established early on after reporting an incident.

If not resident in-country, you do not have to provide a local address in Liberia in order to be contacted. Your home country address should be sufficient for the police to keep in touch. If you have a private lawyer, you should receive updates through this person.

Legal aid

You will be represented by the state, and the government is therefore unlikely to fund a private lawyer. Legal aid may be available through the Liberian National Bar Association or from some private lawyers; however, this is generally limited to individuals who are unable to afford any legal services, and the availability of such support is very limited across the country.

Some law firms also offer limited legal aid, and you will need to contact them directly for details. Most private lawyers will ask for payment before the case goes to court.

Sentencing

The seriousness of the crime determines the severity of the sentence. For rape, a prison sentence is mandatory. Sentencing in Liberia focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. Rape and sexual assault are treated as “crimes against the person.”

A judge may impose a sentence of up to life imprisonment, depending on the circumstances of the case. In Liberia, rape is classified as a first‑degree felony where the victim is a minor (under 18 years of age), where the assault was committed by multiple perpetrators (gang rape), where it resulted in permanent injury, or where weapons were used.

Rape is a second‑degree felony when the victim is not a minor and no deadly weapons were used. The maximum sentence is 10 years in these cases. Sentences may be reduced if the offender pleads guilty early.

If the accused is found not guilty, they are released immediately and may choose to sue the complainant for wrongful accusation.

Compensation

Along with prison, the offender may be ordered to pay a fine or compensate the victim.

There is no government‑funded compensation program for victims of sexual or violent crimes. However, the Liberia National Police has a victim support unit that offers resettlement support to victims of all nationalities, funded by organisations such as UNICEF and UNDP. Medical care at the One Stop Centres is free.

When you return to the UK

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice.

Country	Organisation
England	NHS website, or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’
Scotland	Rape Crisis ScotlandFreephone: 08088 01 03 02 (6pm to midnight) Minicom: 0141 353 3091 Email: support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
Wales	New Pathways SARC. Phone 01685 379 310 Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)
Northern Ireland	The Rowan SARC. Phone 0800 389 4424

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you. You should do this even if you have been tested in Liberia.

Read our advice on returning to the UK after rape and sexual assault abroad.

Support organisations in Liberia

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it, these organisations may be able to help you:

Her Voice Liberia

Address	Brewerville, behind Lott Carey Baptist School
Telephone number	+231 (0)770115545 & Hotline 1226
Hours of contact	24 hrs
Language of service	English

Description of services offered

• access to justice/ legal/ psychosocial services
• mobile clinic for victims
• safe inns/shelters (24 persons at a time)
• medical treatment
• transportation

THINK – Touching Humanity in Need of Kindness

Address	Lover Street, GSA Road, Paynesville
Telephone number	+231 (0)886574394
Hours of contact	24 hrs
Language of service	English

Description of services offered:

• shelter
• support through court proceedings

Coalition of Women against Gender Based Violence

Address	Gardnessville, Chocolate City, Monrovia, Liberia
Telephone number	+231 (0)777047653
Hours of contact	24 hrs
Language of service	English

Description of services offered:

• guardianship for minors
• accompanying victim to one stop centre
• material support (clothes/ food survival dignity kits)
• psychosocial counselling
• referring victims to safe homes
• providing temporary accommodation (for up to 2 days)
• providing transportation

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by HMG officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither HMG nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.