A Liberian teenager was awarded a prestigious international prize on Monday for his role in fighting for justice for child victims of physical and sexual violence in the West African country, where the legacy of wartime rape still lingers.

    Abraham Keita was just 9 years old when he joined a child-led protest in West Point, one of the biggest slums in Liberia’s capital, to demand justice for a teenage girl who was sexually abused and brutally murdered by her foster parents.

    He later became a member of the Children’s Parliament, the driving force behind a campaign to enshrine children’s rights to education, healthcare and birth registration as laws. Liberia’s 2012 Children’s Law has since been hailed as one of the most comprehensive on the continent by campaigners.

    “I was inspired to do something by the murder of the girl in West Point and the terrible situation in Liberia for young girls — the victim could have been my sister or a close friend,” said Keita, now 17, who was named the winner of the annual International Children’s Peace Prize.

    “Winning this award will give hope to children across Liberia, but a lot more needs to be done so they can be compared to children in cities like Amsterdam, Washington and London,” he said.

    Liberia launched an anti-rape campaign last year and Keita started his own movement to push for the prosecution of criminals and compensation for young victims of sexual violence.

    Keita was also responsible for organizing a demonstration last year after the death of 15-year-old Shaki Kamara, who was shot in the legs by armed forces after protesters had tried to break out of an Ebola quarantine in West Point.

    (SD-Agencies)