A/HRC/7/67 page 11 38. Despite the extraordinary prevalence of gender-based violence in Liberia, courts are ill-equipped to deal with the prosecution of this particular type of crime. In Monrovia, Court II, which has special jurisdiction over cases of armed robbery, will also be serving for the prosecution of rape cases. Under a project funded by the Government of Denmark, the Court will be provided with a camera and darkened glass to protect the victims when they give testimony. However, Court II, like many other courts in the country, is hamstrung by poor working conditions and insufficient capacities. In particular, courts in Liberia suffer from a lack of sufficient defence and prosecuting lawyers; adequately qualified internal and external support personnel; adequate logistics; and adequate resources for sentencing and imprisonment. 39. A task force has been established to implement the national gender-based violence plan of action, a joint Government-United Nations programme launched on 30 November 2006, and to coordinate activities to address the issue of gender-based violence in order to reduce the duplication of efforts and waste of resources and to increase impact on targeted groups. The budget allocated for the implementation of the plan of action is $15,225,000 over a period of five years. C. Human rights of children 40. There has been a slight decrease in the infant mortality rate. 41. Despite the recommendations of the Child Protection Network Task Force on Orphanages to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that 63 of 111 orphanages be closed down, efforts to close illegal orphanages were undermined by the Government’s decision to pay subsidies to all orphanages, including illegal ones. 42. Many unaccredited orphanages remain open, putting the children who live there - many of whom still have at least one living parent - at risk of neglect and exploitation. According to the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, the necessity to hear all parties involved in the process of closing orphanages has delayed the work of the task force. D. Harmful traditional practices 43. The traditional system endorses harmful and life-threatening practices, such as trial by ordeal, a process whereby the guilt or innocence of an accused is determined by whether they complete a difficult or painful task. These practices are in violation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ratified by Liberia, as well as of the Constitution of Liberia itself. Nonetheless, due to the weakness of the statutory law system, the practice is increasing in many parts of the country, including Monrovia. In July, in Maryland County, four people were identified by a “witch finder” as being responsible for causing a man’s leg to become swollen. The four, including the man’s elderly father and a female returned refugee, reportedly confessed to witchcraft after being beaten with hands and sticks by community members. 44. The practice of trial by ordeal is, in fact, allowed by the rules and regulations of the hinterland, which provide for the use of trial by ordeal as a means of resolving complaints between “uncivilized persons”. Being based on ethnic discrimination against Liberians living outside major cities, the rules and regulations contravene the Constitution of Liberia as well as