Group Advises FG To Take This Step Towards Justice For Victims Of Rape And Sexual Assault

The federal government has been advised to double up in its efforts towards curtailing and possibly ending sexual violence. Following the launch of Nigeria’s first ever sexual offenders register; a group has advised the government to establish special courts for rape cases and other sexual offences to fast track prosecution and conviction of culprits, Daily Trust reports. The call was made in Abuja on Wednesday, December 4 at the 5th Network Meeting of Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARCs) in Nigeria Conference organised by the British Council.

At the event, the manager, Access to Justice for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), RoLAC, Ms. Priscilla Ankut, spoke on the topic: “A Sexual Offender’s Register as a public safety tool.”

She stated that:

“A specialized court to try rape cases and other sexual offences would make the prosecution of sexual offenders faster.”

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On his part, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, described sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as a global pandemic requiring fundamental and coordinated action that would guarantee the safety and security of vulnerable women and children across the world.

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Meanwhile, the Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) has called on the federal government to implement the Disability Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in January. DRAC, in a breakfast meeting held on November 27 presented the reality of gender-based violence and discrimination faced by persons living with disability in a short film and urged the federal government to implement the Disability Act in order to protect and cater to the needs of persons living with disability in Nigeria.

The Act provides full integration of persons living with disability into society and establishes a national commission for persons living with a disability with the responsibility of providing welfare and development for the otherwise vulnerable group.