practice in schools, homes and in alternative care settings. Children fall out with their
parents and move out of the home or dropped out of school as a result of corporal
punishment. And the situation is not monitored and documented to reflect its magnitude
and impact on children. Further, domestic violence is often regarded as an issue of
family affairs, and mostly not dealt within the judicial settings. Thus the Committee
recommends the State Party to ensure that corporal punishment is expressly prohibited
by law and adequate mechanisms be put in place to monitor and enforce the law. It
recommends the State to strengthen its enforcement institutions to be able to promote
prevention of corporal punishment and domestic violence and more importantly to be
able to effectively investigate and prosecute violence against children. The Committee
also recommends Liberia to provide adequate protection for child victims of violence
particularly those whose cases are going through legal proceedings by arranging free
access to legal assistance, psychosocial and medical therapy and treatment for their
quick recovery.
On Parental guidance
The Committee commends the inclusion of provisions that guarantee the rights of
children to parents and the rights of parents over their children in the newly enacted
Children’s Law and the importance given to children’s relationship with the family under
the 2009National Social Welfare Policy. However, the Committee has a concern about
the issue of children separated from their families, those living in the streets and
disowned children who don’t get any maintenance from their father. Henceforth, the
State Party shall offer a support for parental guidance and reunification system for
disowned children and those separated from their families.
On alternative care
The Committee appreciates the launching of the Alternative Care Standard to serve as
a policy guide to regulate alternative care arrangements for children. But there are
indications that residential care institutions that were classified by the Independent
Accreditation Committee (IAC) as substandard and not meeting government's standards
continue to exist and receive subsidies from the government. Therefore, it is
recommended to reinforce the alternative care monitoring mechanism, to prioritize
family unit care system and have orphanages and other alternative care homes as a
last resort.
On family reunification
The Committee appreciates the establishment of the Liberia Repatriation, Reunification
and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) to work with the international community in
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