Court finds 2 guilty in child trafficking case

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Ms. Mariah Luyken and one other were found guilty of child trafficking.

The long awaited ruling in  child trafficking involving some Liberian business people finally been released by Criminal Court “B” Judge  Ceaineh Clinton Johnson at the Temple of Justice with two men being acquitted from the crime of trafficking in persons.

 The court however found Marian Morgan Luyken, President of WACSN and Chief Executive Officer of Destiny guilty for trafficking two children illegally to the United States of America.

 The two men acquitted are Edwin Walker and Ernest Urey who the court say both did not play major role in the trafficking of the two children.

 Mr. Edwin Walker is the father of the two children trafficked.

 The court believes that West African Children Support Network ( WACSN) has the information needed by this court in view of the letter written by Co-defendant Edwin Walker, which was not placed into evidence or acknowledged.

 Both sides of the case, according to the court may have been an instrument of power played between the parties hereto but the court being a court of Justice said have no part to play wherein two innocent Children may be in a position of vulnerability or exploitation.

 The court further said that no evidence is available from the two children because their whereabouts are unknown to the prosecution and the state cannot provide any evidence about their conditions or their presence in exploitative premises because WACSN, thru its president Marian Morgan Luyken does not want to provide the needed evidence.

 During her testimony in court Marian Morgan Luyken admitted to taking  the two children Bill Walker and Quita Johnson and gave them to some America families.

 Narrating further, Criminal Court “B” Judge added that the court could not accept from WACSN that because the American Embassy evoked the diplomatic immunity and because the Probate Court Judge said he gave the adoption file to the late Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis who may misled same.

Record in the possession of Defense for children International, a local NGO working in the defense of children shows that 550 Children were taken away from Liberia to the United States of America illegally between 2004 to 2020.

A woman demanding justice at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia in child trafficking case

Among the 550, 32 children came from Todee suburb of Montserrado, while the rest came from Gbarpolu, Bong, Cape Mount and Grand Bassa Counties.

In 2006, Edwin Walker took his two children from their mothers illegally and brought them to Marian Morgan owner of Destiny whose normal business is to buy children and take them to the United States for reasons unknown.