13 February 2008
November 30, 2007 was a dark day for 13-year old Meideh Angel Tokpah who was found hanging at 7:30 pm in a bathroom of her guardians on the Old Road, Sinkor, in Monrovia.
Just before her lifeless body was submitted to postmortem examination, the police issued a statement that she committed suicide, which corroborated her guardian, Hans Williams.
Women, student and youth groups and human rights organizations challenged the police report. But the postmortem report #009 conducted by Anthony S. Quaye raised more questions than answers.
As J. Nathaniel Daygbor reports, an autopsy performed by foreign experts has found out that Angel was not only sexually abused, she was strangled to death.
Historical Perspective
Students of Christ the King School Old road had just begun their weekend on November 30, 2007 when the news broke that one them, 13-year old adolescent Meideh Angel Togba was dead.
Little Angel, weighing 38 kg and 150 cm tall, was found hanging from a belt in the bathroom of her Guardian Mr. Hans Williams. The alarm was blown, neighbors converged at the Williams' residence, and the police was alerted.
Police reported that little Angel died on the same Friday, Nov. 30, 2007 at 7:30 as a result of hanging. The body was then submitted to the Medical Examiner of the Liberian National Police, Anthony S. Quayee.
Mr. Quayee conducted the postmortem examination while the body of the deceased was yet un-embalmed, frozen, partially dressed in a multiple color blouse and multiple colors torn panties.
No mention was made in the autopsy report as to what partially tore Angel's panties, but the report admitted the deceased suffered a violent death.
Describing the vaginal orifice, Dr. Quayee said Angel's heymen was broken with irregular edges. A medical practitioner who spoke with The Analyst when the "heymen" is broken a female is said to be de-virginized.
The Quayee autopsy also said the "mucobloody vaginal" discharge was present on the body of Angel Togba.
In his conclusion, Quayee said there was evidence of a torn panties, but claimed that during the investigation, "the evidence of sexual abuse couldnot be established because of duration elapsed before the postmortem examination was performed".
Quayee said in his report that Angel's Suprebubic hair (hair around her private part), vaginal secretion, vaginal tissue were taken for DNA analysis, if sponsored.
Reading the report during a press conference, Solicitor General Tiawan Gongloe said there was no foul-play in the death of little Angel, but that met public dissension.
New Autopsy report
Liberia's Justice Minister, Cllr. Philip A.Z. Banks yesterday released the autopsy report of the late little Angel Tokpah conducted by a Ghanaian Pathologist with 32 years of experience and Prof. Dr. Josefa Jimenez Hernandez.
A second autopsy was ordered by the government of Liberia following public out cry that the Quayee postmortem report was faulty. The Ghanaian Pathologist, Prof. Dr. Hernandez was seconded to conduct a new autopsy.
According to the findings of the new autopsy on the embalmed body of Angel, the 13-year old girl was reportedly sexually abused and strangled to death.
In his concluding comments, Dr. Hernandez said: "The review of the postmortem report and the examination of the photographs in the process of the re-examination demonstrated evidence of violence."
The Ghanaian Pathologist also said: "This case describes morphological changes in the neck, respiratory system and the external genital. Alleging, she was sexually violated and strangled before the hanging."
Breaking the news to journalists yesterday, Cllr. Banks said some parts were taken off the body of little Angel but said those parts were later discovered at the Samuel Striker Funeral home.
The previous autopsy report said those parts were extracted for DNA test which was not done before the new autopsy was conducted. He said the study of the initial autopsy photographs indicated diffused scratches on the Suprapubic (private) area, and burns on the supero-anterior side of booth thighs.
Meanwhile, police sources have disclosed that Mr. & Mrs. Hans Williams have been arrested and detained at the National Police Headquarters on Capitol Hill and are been interrogated.
In the mean time, Justice Minister Philip Banks said the body of little Angel will be tuned over to her parents after investigation of the missing parts is concluded.
He then promised the government will speedily prosecute those connected to the death of Meideh Angel Togba.
Autopsy report
The Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
Republic of Liberia
Monrovia, Liberia
18th January, 2008
Report of review of postmortem conducted on deceased Meideh Togba
Upon a request received from the Acting Head of Ghana Mission in the Republic of Liberia for assistance in respect of a review of an autopsy, I arrived in Monrovia on the 14th January 2008 to undertake the re-examination.
On Wednesday 16th January 2008, the body was made available to me at the Samuel Stryker Funeral home, in attendance to witness were the following:
Representative of Crime Service Department, Liberia
Representative of United Nations
Representative of Criminal Investigations Department, Ghana
Representative of women in peace building network, Liberia
The Father of the deceased Mr. Togba.
External Examination : The body is that of an embalmed female adolescent
Marks of Violence:
The body had a ligature mark from internal lateral right side to the internal lateral left side of the neck surrounded by diffused petechial hemorrhages that extended to the right cheek. In the photographs of the Initial examination. The study of the initial autopsy photographs indicated a diffused scratches or abrasions on the suprapubic area and burns on the supero-anterior side of both things. The examination of the embalmed body revealed the disappearance of the epidermis and hair of the suprapubic area.
Again, the vestibular and the minor labial tissues and the vaginal wall components of the external genital were not found. The internal face of the left thing showed scratches. The chemical used for the embalmment, thus formalin 10%, can only preserve the tissues and change the color. According to Dr. Anthony S. Quayee who performed the initial autopsy, the epidemis and pubic hair were taken for DNA analyses.
Internal Examination
The internal examination of the body revealed the disappearance of parts of the respiratory system including laryngeal structure, trachea and bronchial (airways). Studies of the initial autopsy photographs showed the dissection of the neck and a review of the structure indicated a diffused hemorrhage in the subcutaneous tissue. The tarynx and the trachea were dislocated and surrounded by traumatic hemorrhagic injuries Lungs show diffuse areas of atelectases and hemorrhage. The heart covered by pericardium sac, and a dissection showed diffused petechial hemorrhage for Asphyxia. Liver was pale, shows no abnormality. Spleen was congestive. Kidneys were pale. On cutting section the cortical area was pale and pyramid with severe congestion due to the loss blood for the laceration of the vessels (carotid arteries and yugular vein localized in the laterals side of the neck). Brain shows congestion and moderate edema. Rest of the organs no evidence of alteration seen.
Comment:
The review of the postimortem report and the examination of the photographs in the process of the re-examination demonstrated evidence of violence. This case describes morphological changes in the neck, respiratory system and the external genital. In conclusion she was sexually violated and strangled before the hanging.
Cause of Death
Asphyxia Secondary to Strangulation
Prof. Dr. Josefa Jimmenez Hernandez
Medical Doctor, 32 Years of Experience
Pathologist, 27 Years of Experience
Police Hospital, Accra-Ghana
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 The Analyst. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
This is the old Liberia way of dealing with things. Either shape-up according to opinions of the powers that be or ship-out. We can no longer accept this business-as-usual process. There are two different autopsies; the details of the first and the reasons why it was deemed incredible are unknown. The second one based it''s conclusion of sexual assault on the examination of photographs. You would expect that a case in which the very lives of the accused hang in balance, and the life of young women taken either by suicide or foul play, would be based on more tangible and standardized testing such as a DNA test. Yet the Liberia government lead by the minister of justice, does not see how embarrassing it is to build this case on a house of cards, and where the rights of accused are trampled on like condemned thieves. Oh, I forgot, "they are guilty until proven innocent..." It does not matter what the facts or evidence are. Let''s focus on Hans Williams and Madea Paykue as the murderers (while the true culprit may get away) and lets build our case based on coercion and forced confessions. For God''s sake, Miss Paykue was hand-cuffed for 8 hours. She had to be hospitalized due to the resulting injuries. The security guard was brutally beaten so that he could confess that Han Williams did it. Oh, and then my personal favorite, the 74-year grandmother and 76-year old grandfather are also being incarcerated as facilitators of the crime. Yet in all this, we have not been provided a single shred of evidence why these things are so, except for the mere suspicion. Congratulations Mr. Minister of Justice. We are back to the old order of the day. Bottom line, there is no guarantee of a civil due process in our country when you stand accused, especially when the wave of popular opinion are not in your favor.