Power, predation, and postwar state formation: the public discourse of ritual child rape in Liberia

Abstract

In interviews on sexual violence in postwar Liberia, nearly every respondent reported that the primary cause of rape against young children was witchcraft, for the purpose of gaining wealth and power. Qualitative findings construct a semiotic triangle in which: (i) Child rape and wealth reflect upon witchcraft by highlighting its accumulative rather than distributive nature; (ii) Child rape and witchcraft cast aspersions on power, including liberal governance and (iii) Rape is a metaphysical theft of power, a perspective that converges with some feminist analyses. Understanding this discourse can lead to better research on sexual violence in conflict-affected countries.