For brutal flogging of a 16 year old female student, the proprietor and the Dean of Students Affairs of the Soltiamon Christian School have been imprisoned at the Monrovia Central Prison.
According to report Proprietor Solomon Joah, Sr. and his son Solomon Joah, Jr., Dean of Student Affairs, were sent to jail Tuesday July 2, 2019 by Magistrate Kennedy Peabody after the duo failed to secure a bond.
The confinement of the two administrators drew a scene at the Temple of Justice when family members poured in at the court. Some openly cried in the courtyard for the sentence of their relatives. The senior Joah carries himself as one of those “men of God”, who is so religious.
He and his son were taken to the Monrovia City Court based on a Writ of Arrest that was issued on them after police investigators had charged them with Aggravated Assaults and Criminal Facilitation.
“You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of Solomon M. Joah, Jr and Solomon M. Joah, Sr. and bring them before the Stipendiary Magistrate to answer to the charge of Aggravated Assault and Criminal Facilitation.”
The writ added: “That during the period of May 20, 2019, in the area of 20th Street Sinkor, City of Monrovia, Montserrado County, Co-defendant, Solomon Joah Jr. who is the teacher at the Soltiamon Christian School System being there and then with the intent to cause private prosecutor’s daughter minor herein serious bodily injury, purposely and intentionally beat, whipped, and inflicted pains and injuries on the body of the said child with a rattan against her will.
The court order further stated that the flogging caused the student to sustain several bruises on her body and butt and said action on the part of the aforesaid co-defendant was intentionally ignored by co-defendant Solomon Joah, Sr., the Principal and the Authority of the school with intent to facilitate the violent conduct of co-defendant.
The alleged act of the defendant being unlawful, wicked,illegal and intentional is in violation of Section 14.20 and 10.2 of the New Penal Law of Liberia.”
How it happened?
The 16 year old told Front page Africa that she took advantage of her free class time to go down stairs to her colleague to borrow sanitary pad after she noticed that her pad had finished but she needed a change of pad.
She explained that on her way back to class, she met the Dean of Students Affairs, Solomon Joah, Jr. who asked her why she was out of class and after she explained, he insisted he wanted to see the sanitary pad to ascertain whether she was saying the truth but she refused.
“I had an issue with sanitary pad because mine had finished and I was seeing my period so I went to borrow some from my friend. While on my way back to my class, he met me and asked why I was out of class.
I explained that it was personal but he insisted that I tell him. I explained that I went to borrow pad from a friend. He insisted I show him the pad so I showed the pad and he ordered the boys to hold me so that he could whip me.
After the first 65 lashes, he said I disrespected him because I didn’t cry so he ordered that they hold me again for another 65 lashes,” Mary explained.
Meanwhile Liberia’s Ministry of Education has condemned corporal punishment by some school administrators describing it as “unacceptable” behavior.
