The
issue of rape in our society today, especially in Nigeria, is beginning
to take the centre stage, occupying front pages of both local and
national dailies while critical issues bordering on socio-economic
debates rarely get that much attention. Today, the issue of rape has
gone beyond a matter of sex without consent between a stronger male and
a weak female or between one weak female and two or more stronger
males. There have been cases where defenceless females were gang- raped
by stronger males in most bizarre circumstances.
There had been calls from different
quarters including NGOs on the need for tougher punishment for rapists
and abusers of children. In Lagos State, for instance, the government
has been working hard to ensure that no child abuser goes unpunished.
The Lagos State Government recently organised a stakeholders’ forum, in
collaboration with the United Nations International Children Educational
Fund, UNICEF, on “Prevention of Sex Abuse in Lagos’. The highlight of
the forum was the need for culprits of rape cases to be prosecuted under
the provision of criminal offences as against the provisions of the
Child Rights Law in order to stem the tide of these inhuman behaviours.
This, according to participants, would signal an end to these vices in
our society.
Participants at the forum also advocated a
close monitoring on children exposing themselves to the various social
networks which could in turn make them vulnerable to abuses from older
ones. It was stressed that the responsibility of safeguarding children
should not be seen as the exclusive preserve of government, but a joint
responsibility involving the police, social workers, teachers, lawyers,
media practitioners and especially parents who should play their own
parts in addressing the menace from its formative stage, and from the
perspective of the law.
However, it is rather sad that the
resolve of government and other stakeholders to seriously address the
issue of rape in the country is not being helped by the provisions of
the law. Unfortunately, in this regards, the punishment stipulated by
the law for rape offenders is, to say the least, too mild. Hence, it has
not served its intended purpose of discouraging or deterring rape
offenders as cases of child abuses and rape keep increasing. According
to statistics from Partnership for Justice, a Lagos-based human rights
organisation, cases of rape have been in the increase in places such as
Oshodi, Ikeja, Agege and Ketu in Lagos.
According to the statistics, from July to
November 25, 2013, the centre had offered free services to 124 rape
victims in the state. This figure only represents the few who could
summon courage to seek for professional help. A larger number of
sexually abused victims often prefer to bear their indignation in
silence for obvious reasons. If we are to really tackle the issue of
rape headlong, we would need to take a clue from some countries that had
already criminalised sexual and other related abuses against children.
In Scotland and England, for instance, rape has been criminalised for
over two decades. It would not be out of place if Nigeria borrows a leaf
from these countries with a view to addressing the loopholes in our
laws.
Another controversial aspect of the rape
issue is what should really be classified as rape. Going by the
definition of rape, every form of sex without consent is rape, whether
it takes place within a marriage or any other kind of relationship. Gone
are those days when a woman is believed to have no legal protection
from rape by her husband. Rape within marriage and other relationships
is now clearly recognised within the law. Sexual relationship within or
outside marriage should be consensual and anything contrary to this
falls under rape. Recently, a certain Alex Ojuala reportedly hypnotised
his wife, Mrs. Glory Ojuala, who is a nursing mother, for three days in
order to have sex with her, just a few days after she was delivered of a
baby at her matrimonial home in Lagos.
For a society beset with horrendous
crimes against women, it is pertinent for our lawmakers to combat this
new wave of criminality and violence to the younger ones and women in
general by pursuing the bill on rape with the same zeal used on the same
sex marriage and other laudable pieces of legislation. Also, the
authorities concerned with enforcement of laws in this regard should not
be slack in doing so because it is only when the relevant laws are
implemented to the letter that the propensity for rape would be checked
and the incidents curbed.
Government agencies such as the Ministry
of Education should as a matter of urgency remove the veil used in
covering issues similar to this all in the name of keeping some
information away from them which they believed the children are not ripe
enough to know. Sex education should be revived in the education system
for pupils in secondary schools and ensure that children are
elaborately educated and oriented on the various indicators of sexual
abuse. Parents should yield to the call from government, especially the
Lagos State Government that all children within school age should not be
seen hawking during school hours as doing this portends greater risk to
them and make them vulnerable to abuses.
One would love to recount the words of
the late president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela: “Safety and security
don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and
public investment. We owe our children, women and other vulnerable
citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.” How apt!
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