A bill for an Act to eliminate all forms of violence against persons has just been passed by Nigeria's House of Representatives.
Focusing mainly on women, the bill prescribes life imprisonment for rape, a minimum of 20 years for anyone involved or is an accomplice in gang rape, and seeks compensation for victims of rape. The bill also treats the issues of domestic violence such as acid attack, political violence, harmful traditional practices such as female circumcision, and protection of widows.
We believe the passage of this bill is apt, even though it is long overdue. In Nigeria, violence against women, especially rape, seems to have been generally accepted as one of those ills of society that citizens have to live with. Most cases have been allowed to go unpunished.
This is more so because of the embarrassment and stigmatisation that the victims suffer; many cases of rape and abuse are not reported because of this fear of stigmatisation. Apart from that, there is the added problem of the offenders being relatives of the victims in most cases, or men that are well known to them. This is especially so in the case of children.
According to the CLEEN Foundation's 2012 National Crime and Safety Survey, 37 per cent of the rape victims surveyed said it had occurred in their own homes; 34 per cent said it was around their homes; while 26 per cent said it happened in school or the workplace. Only 3 per cent of victims stated that it had occurred elsewhere.
A more frightening trend, however, is the rampant cases of incest and rape of innocent children; sometimes they are as young as two years old. Nigerians are inundated daily with reports of children being molested by neighbours and relatives.
Many a time, once the perpetrators are handed over to the police, the case is closed - nothing more would be heard of it. Yet, this is a crime that deserves the death penalty.
The culture of silence that surrounds the issue of rape in the country has to be broken. Women must be given the space to comfortably report such cases. And the authorities need to ensure that the law takes its full course. Understandably, this will be a challenge.
For one, the police hardly have the means or the equipment to forensically investigate crimes. Without physical evidence that connects the victim and the perpetrator, it is usually one's words against another's. The country's weak justice system affects everyone negatively.
Having the law in place is a good start though. We recall United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's statement, "There is one universal truth applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable." He spoke the truth; Nigerians should live by this mantra.
Focusing mainly on women, the bill prescribes life imprisonment for rape, a minimum of 20 years for anyone involved or is an accomplice in gang rape, and seeks compensation for victims of rape. The bill also treats the issues of domestic violence such as acid attack, political violence, harmful traditional practices such as female circumcision, and protection of widows.
We believe the passage of this bill is apt, even though it is long overdue. In Nigeria, violence against women, especially rape, seems to have been generally accepted as one of those ills of society that citizens have to live with. Most cases have been allowed to go unpunished.
This is more so because of the embarrassment and stigmatisation that the victims suffer; many cases of rape and abuse are not reported because of this fear of stigmatisation. Apart from that, there is the added problem of the offenders being relatives of the victims in most cases, or men that are well known to them. This is especially so in the case of children.
According to the CLEEN Foundation's 2012 National Crime and Safety Survey, 37 per cent of the rape victims surveyed said it had occurred in their own homes; 34 per cent said it was around their homes; while 26 per cent said it happened in school or the workplace. Only 3 per cent of victims stated that it had occurred elsewhere.
A more frightening trend, however, is the rampant cases of incest and rape of innocent children; sometimes they are as young as two years old. Nigerians are inundated daily with reports of children being molested by neighbours and relatives.
Many a time, once the perpetrators are handed over to the police, the case is closed - nothing more would be heard of it. Yet, this is a crime that deserves the death penalty.
The culture of silence that surrounds the issue of rape in the country has to be broken. Women must be given the space to comfortably report such cases. And the authorities need to ensure that the law takes its full course. Understandably, this will be a challenge.
For one, the police hardly have the means or the equipment to forensically investigate crimes. Without physical evidence that connects the victim and the perpetrator, it is usually one's words against another's. The country's weak justice system affects everyone negatively.
Having the law in place is a good start though. We recall United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's statement, "There is one universal truth applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable." He spoke the truth; Nigerians should live by this mantra.
No comments:
Post a Comment