Published: May 11, 2026
MONROVIA — Prominent lawyer and politician Cllr. Charlyne M. Brumskine has described the mob assault on a young woman at Red Light Market as a symptom of a deeper “crisis of men and boys” in Liberia, calling on influential men across the country to urgently mentor vulnerable young males before they turn to violence, drugs, or crime.
Her remarks come amid national outrage over video footage showing a group of young men stripping and publicly harassing a young woman who was attempting to board a commercial motorbike at Red Light Market. Eyewitnesses said the attackers accused the woman of wearing clothing they considered indecent. She was later rescued by a Paynesville City Police officer and concerned citizens. Police have launched an investigation and made initial arrests.
In a prerecorded video posted to her official Facebook page, Brumskine condemned the attack as criminal and inexcusable while arguing that it cannot be understood in isolation from the broader social and psychological pressures bearing down on young Liberian men.
“What I do want to talk about is why it happened,” she said. “There’s nothing that can justify it. It was wrong and it needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Hopelessness as a Driver of Violence
While making clear that the attack was indefensible, Brumskine argued that many violent acts committed by young men flow from feelings of hopelessness, lack of opportunity, and loss of control over their own circumstances.
Citing international research, she said sexual violence and assault are often rooted less in sexuality than in dominance, aggression, and the desperate assertion of power by those who feel powerless.
“Whenever an individual feels a sense of lack of dominance or lack of autonomy over their life, sometimes it results in violence or desperate behavior aimed at controlling something, even if they cannot control their own life,” she said.
She pointed to unemployment, drug abuse, and economic exclusion as compounding factors driving young men toward destructive behavior.
“Most of our men feel there are no jobs. Most feel they lack access to control their lives, and they don’t have the means to take care of their children,” she said.
Women Advancing, Boys Falling Behind
Brumskine also raised concern over what she described as a widening educational and social gap between young men and women — a gap she said is visible even in her own professional environment.
She said female applicants increasingly dominate internship opportunities at her law firm, reflecting broader global trends in educational attainment and professional advancement.
“Women are fast surpassing men in education,” she said. “Women are achieving degrees of higher education at higher levels globally than men.”
She referenced rising male suicide rates internationally and growing dropout rates among young men in higher education institutions, adding that Liberia is not insulated from those trends.
“In Liberia, I have read statistics about young boys attempting suicide at rates we could not even imagine,” she said.
A Call to Liberian Men
Brumskine directed her most urgent appeal at men with influence, opportunity, or standing in their communities, calling on them to become deliberate about mentoring the young men around them before those men are lost to violence or substance abuse.
“I want to appeal to Liberian men to say, please help us, help our sons, help our brothers,” she said. “These young men who are in crisis — we need to find or create mentorship opportunities for them.”
She called on professionals, fathers, and community leaders to bring struggling young men into their homes, offices, and workplaces for guidance and exposure, and urged Liberians to seek out vulnerable youth in communities across the country before crisis sets in.
“We need to go into New Kru Town, Ganta, God Bless You Hill in Buchanan, Totota to seek out these young men before they become drug users, before they become rapists,” she said.
Justice and Prevention
Brumskine praised the Paynesville City Police officers and civilians who intervened to rescue the victim, saying their actions may have prevented a far worse outcome.
“The intervention prevented what could have become a violent and public rape or ultimate murder,” she said. “No man has the right to lay his hands on a woman simply because he disagrees with her dress code.”
She maintained that prosecution of the suspects must be swift and firm, but said punishment alone will not solve the problem.
“Unless we start to own and address this situation with men and boys in Liberia, women and children will continue to bear the brunt of violence,” she warned.
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