In a major legal twist, the Monrovia City Court has reopened the assault case involving Miss Liberia 1st Runner-Up, Kindness Wilson, after previously dismissing the charges against her.
Stipendiary Magistrate Ben Barco, who had earlier dropped the case on October 27, citing what he called “unreasonable and unjustifiable delays” by state prosecutors, has now rescinded his ruling and reinstated the criminal charges.
The decision, handed down on Wednesday, means that Wilson’s prosecution will resume in the coming days at the Monrovia City Court, Temple of Justice, where the case originated.
Prosecutors had swiftly filed a motion challenging the earlier dismissal, arguing that the court’s decision was based on an inaccurate interpretation of the trial record. They maintained that the state had actively pursued the case, requested multiple hearing dates, and was ready to call its final witness, a medical doctor, on the very day the case was thrown out.
The high-profile case stems from a viral incident in March 2024, when a video surfaced showing Wilson slapping fellow student Jumel Cox during a confrontation on the campus of Stella Maris Polytechnic University. The video sparked outrage across social media and led to widespread debate about the behavior of public figures and accountability among young Liberians.
Following the incident, the Miss Liberia Organizing Committee suspended Wilson, while the Ministry of Justice charged her with simple assault and disorderly conduct. She pleaded not guilty and was released on bond.
During the trial, five prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, the student who filmed the video, and two school administrators, had already testified. Several key pieces of evidence, including the viral slap video, Wilson’s apology video, and a school disciplinary report, had been admitted before the court dismissed the case.
Magistrate Barco’s reversal now clears the way for the case to resume, with prosecutors preparing to continue from where proceedings left off.
This development adds yet another chapter to one of Liberia’s most talked-about legal cases, as the public watches closely to see how the court will handle the revived prosecution of the beauty queen.
