Monrovia– A rights group has accused police authorities of failing in their duty after a newborn vanished from the Liberian Government Hospital, saying the unexplained disappearance highlights systemic neglect and possible trafficking risks.
By Jaheim T. Tumu-jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com
Police Spokesperson, Sam Collins, responding to FrontPageAfrica despite local authorities having a press conference regarding the situation, said that LNP is going to thoroughly investigate the matter.
“Quote me on this; the issue is under serious police consideration,” said Police Spokesperson Collins.
In a communication, the Country Director, Danieletta Sleyon of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy (CeHRD International), said the case involves a 16‑year‑old mother identified as Fatu Moses who delivered by Caesarean section at the Liberia Government Hospital in
Buchanan on June 1. While she was recovering, her three‑day‑old infant went missing.
The mother and family reported the disappearance to police and spoke publicly on local radio, but nearly three weeks passed without any arrests or the whereabouts of the infant.
CeHRD said the incident exposes multiple layers of failure. A child in state custody disappeared from a public hospital, yet officials offered no immediate explanation.
CeHRD noted that the District Health Officer, Joseph Zondo, and the local CID Commander were informed but did not act swiftly, yet there were no concrete outcomes from the police or hospital staff.
“A newborn in the custody of a public hospital has disappeared, and the child’s whereabouts, safety, and status remain unknown,” the statement read.
CeHRD stressed that the delay in police action undermines public confidence. “A three‑week delay in arresting any suspect, despite a formal police report and notice to multiple duty‑bearers, raises serious concern about dereliction of duty, possible obstruction, or complicity by public officials,” CeHRD said.
The Liberia National Police local authorities in Buchanan eventually held a press conference, but no arrests followed. Accordingly, CeHRD’s Human Rights Officers attempted to visit the hospital for information but were denied access, underscoring what the group described as a lack of transparency.
“The three‑week silence before any public police statement suggests a failure of the duty to keep the family and the public informed,” the group added.
The case has drawn attention from local figures. CeHRD acknowledged that Grand Bassa statesman Gabriel Montgomery reached out to the grieving mother with food and resources, pressing for a full investigation.
“Mr. Gabriel Montgomery has reached out several times to the surviving mother and family with aid or resources, ensuring that there must be a full investigation of the missing infant,” the statement noted.
CeHRD framed the incident as a violation of fundamental rights. The group cited the Liberian Constitution’s guarantees of life, liberty, and security, as well as the Children’s Rights Law of 2011, which prohibits abduction and trafficking.
“The forcible separation of a mother from her newborn engages the right to know and be cared for by one’s parents and the right to preserve identity,” CeHRD said.
Liberia is party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
CeHRD argued that these treaties require the state to prevent abduction and trafficking, investigate violations, and provide remedies.
“Article 35 (of the CRC) obliges the State to prevent the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children,” the group reminded.
CeHRD warned that the circumstances leading to a newborn disappearing from a hospital rather than a community setting resemble patterns linked to trafficking networks.
“The circumstances are consistent with patterns associated with illegal adoption or trafficking networks that specifically target maternity wards,” CeHRD said, urging investigators not to treat it as a routine missing‑persons case.
CeHRD also highlighted the mother’s vulnerability. Recovering from major surgery, she was left to pursue justice largely on her own. The family expressed lack of funds is impeding procedures regarding the missing infant.
“A sixteen-year-old survivor recovering from a C‑Section has been made to pursue justice for her missing child without adequate institutional support, compounding her physical and psychological trauma,” CeHRD said.
CeHRD issued a series of demands. It called on the Liberia National Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Gender to immediately investigate the disappearance as a possible trafficking case, suspend hospital staff pending inquiry, and clarify the roles of county officials.
It also urged psychosocial and legal support for the mother, audits of maternity ward security nationwide, and public reporting of investigative outcomes.
“Provide the 16-year-old surviving mother with immediate psychosocial, medical, and legal support and keep her and the public regularly informed of investigative progress,” CeHRD demanded.
Development partners were asked to monitor the case. UNICEF, UNFPA, the U.S. Embassy, and the EU Delegation were urged to offer technical and material support and ensure Liberia complies with its treaty obligations.
“We urge all duty‑bearers named above to treat this matter with the urgency a missing newborn demands,” CeHRD noted.
The rights group said it will continue to monitor the case until the child is found and those responsible are held accountable.
“CeHRD International will not relent until the missing child is found, those responsible are held accountable, and the Government of Liberia demonstrates concrete steps to prevent similar occurrences at public health facilities,” the statement indicated.
In November 2025, Liberia faced another alarming case of infant disappearance from a public health facility, underscoring systemic lapses in hospital security.
At 2:55 a.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, a five‑day‑old baby was stolen from her mother, 21‑year‑old Tracy N. Nuah, at a facility in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
The incident sparked widespread panic across the county and prompted swift police intervention.
Authorities arrested 26 individuals in connection with the case, as public pressure mounted for accountability and transparency in the investigation.
Following days of intense inquiry and community outcry, Nuah was reunited with her child, bringing relief to the family and residents who had rallied for justice.
