"James Nyemah, the church's pastor and spokesman for the girl's family, said rape was widespread in Liberia only during its 14 years of civil war.
“To blame the whole nation for the terrible things that happened during that time is a misrepresentation of the Liberian people,” Nyemah said.
Across Africa, militiamen, rebels and government armies have used rape as a weapon of war. After Liberia began its descent into civil war in 1989, rebels would gang-rape girls and take them as “wives” to service multiple commanders. Thousands of rapes went unprosecuted.
But much has changed in six years of peace there. Liberia has made efforts to combat rape under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who 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.
Still, in some parts of Africa, women often are blamed for being raped by enticing men or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Girls who are raped often are shunned by their families.
The alleged attack in Phoenix ignited an international outcry after police reported that the girl's father said he was ashamed of her. Nyemah later said it all was the result of a misunderstanding."
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/08/02/20090802sexassault-ON.html?=&wired=
Clearly, the "misunderstanding" was aimed towards the father who shouldn't have uttered that he doesn't want his daughter anymore.
