The report found abuse at all age levels from 8 to 18, though the victims older than 12 were identified as being “regularly involved in ‘selling sex’.” But “all of the respondents clearly stated that they felt that the scale of the problem affected over half of the girls in their locations,” the report said.

Similar to other U.N. missions, the scandal in Liberia seems to be the result of inadequate training, zero threat of punishment and collusion with top mission officials and NGO workers. “In all the [refugee] camps where discussion groups were conducted, the Camp Management Committee and block leaders were implicated,” the report found. What’s more, parents of the abused children typically have refrained from complaining since selling their children for sex is the only way to get food.