Because the menace of sexual abuse
is fast decaying our society. Values, morals, culture and even religion which
we largely depend on for guide to living our daily lives are been thrown out
the window before evil is perpetuated. In Nigeria today, particularly in the
South-East, even elderly women are not spared the agony of experiencing
forceful carnal knowledge by men young enough to be their grand children. Those
in the habit of sexually abusing minors are called paedophiles, while those
engaged in the act with blood relations are accused of incest. Often times,
these perpetrators are people who lack proper socialisation; people who
suffer inferiority complex and people who lack self control.
Indeed, rape has been on the increase such that it has become
a daily affair with wide dimensions bedevilling every sphere. Even the pulpit
is not immune to the allure of rape. It has become common in religious
organisations between the so called Leaders vs. members & Member vs.
Member. The Lagos state Legislators recently made a case for stiffer
sanctions, possibly life imprisonment for perpetrators of rape and
defilement of minor in the state. The lawmakers also sought amendment of the
Child Right Law 2007 to accommodate sanctions and preventive measures of the
criminal acts that has apparently gone viral in Lagos State. It has been
reported that some cases of defilement reported to the Ministry of Justice
could not be prosecuted due to uncooperative attitude of some concerned parents.
The parents often don’t pursue the case to its logical conclusion for fear of
future consequence, including social stigma on the affected
victim.
Many also suffer because of the lack of trust in our justice
system. There are cases of children within the ages of 3-5year old
being raped and the parents will rather choose to make it secret among
themselves. In today’s world, Fathers shamelessly rape their daughters like the
case of Aziza Kibibi (read her story from our blog), with the knowledge of the
Mother who chooses to keep the secret within the family.
I put it to you that if Aziza Kibibi were a Nigerian she
most likely would not get a husband due to stigmatization. She may also
have been pushed to commit suicide
because majority of the people here will blame and criticize here for one
reason or the other. Her story was a true inspiration to many, including me and
I wish my country people could take a clue from her. Often times, when a person
is found guilty of rape the punishment he/she is given is usually a fine or a
few years sentence in jail. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. A few years behind
bars are nothing to a hardened criminal. Any adult who is bold enough to
abuse a little child sexually, is already a hardened criminal (in my view),
because it takes a wicked mind to carry out such act. The punishment
ought to be life imprisonment to serve as deterrence or a minimum of 3 decades
(30 years behind bars).
The word rape originated from the Latin verb “rapere”. It
means to seize or take by force. It was incorporated into Roman law and
classified as a form of crime Vis: Crime of assault. It was initially
considered a private wrong, but was made a public wrong by the Roman emperor, Constantine. However, the contemporary
definition of rape differs from country to country. Generally rape is defined as sexual contact or
penetration achieved without consent, or with use of physical force, coercion,
deception, threat, and or when the victim is mentally incapacitated or unpaired.
The
most critical issue here is consent. Sexual intercourse can only
take place with the consent of both parties freely given and silence
does not mean consent. Under the Nigerian Law, rape is defined as forcible
unlawful sexual intercourse, without a person’s consent. Young girls
are particularly vulnerable in the face of these growing criminal tendencies.
They can be easily overpowered because of their physiological make-up.
I choose this topic for
three reasons:
1. The Experience of my dear friend who
was close to being sexually abused, ignited a spark in my brains many years ago.
2. Africans still do not speak out enough nor are we determined to find a
solution to sexual abuse, especially in Nigeria.
3. Because I need to prepare a safer country
for my children, grand children & their descendants.
Edna Wey!
http://www.evesworldinternational.blogspot.com
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