Pastor: Liberian family misunderstood doctor

PHOENIX — Statements made by the family of an 8-year-old Liberian girl who police say was raped by four boys included terrible mistakes that resulted from a language barrier, a pastor said Friday.

The girl’s father presumed she had not been raped after a doctor said she was OK, referring to her psychological state, said James Nyemah of Africa Faith Expressions, the family pastor.

The father, who speaks limited English, later told police and childcare workers that he was ashamed of the girl and didn’t want her back out of frustration with hearing a doctor say she was OK and investigators saying she had been sexually assaulted, the pastor said.

The misunderstanding also led the family to make statements to members of the media that nothing had happened to the girl, “which would imply they’re denying the child was raped,” Nyemah said.

“It’s really not that he does not want his daughter,” Nyemah said. “Regardless of all that happened, (the parents) love their daughter.”

The boys, ages 9 to 14, are accused of luring the girl to an empty storage shed at a Phoenix apartment complex on July 16 with the promise of chewing gum. They restrained her while taking turns assaulting her, police said.

Child Protective Services took custody of the girl after police said her parents told them she had shamed the family and they didn’t want her.

The case sparked an international outcry. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and others criticized the family.

Nyemah said the family has not been allowed to see the girl, but CPS planned to conduct a psychological evaluation to determine if she was ready to visit with them. He did not know the timeline for the evaluation.

A CPS spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.

Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill said investigators only reported what they heard when responding to the incident.

Prosecutors have charged a 14-year-old as an adult with two counts of sexual assault and kidnapping in the case. His lawyer did not return a call for comment.

Three other boys — ages 9, 10 and 13 — have been charged in Juvenile Court with sexual assault. The 10- and 13-year-old boys also were charged with kidnapping.

The girl and all the boys are refugees from the West African nation of Liberia.

In some parts of Africa, women often are blamed for being raped for enticing men or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Girls who are raped often are shunned by their families.

In recent years, Liberia has made efforts to combat rape under Sirleaf’s leadership. She has sought to dispel the stigma associated with sexual assault by publicly acknowledging that she was herself the victim of attempted rape during the country’s civil war.

Nyemah said people need to understand that the girl’s rape is an isolated incident and is not representative of Liberian culture.

Phoenix police met with local leaders in the Liberian community to better understand their culture and open up the lines of communication, Hill said.