|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
With cases of sexual violence on the rise in different Nigerian states, millions of women and girls constantly need support to escape the violence from their male abusers. Many organisations seek to help women and girls, and one such is the ‘Black Girl’s Dream Initiative,’ which typically intervenes at the grassroots level.
According to a 2022 report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), about 30% of Nigerian women have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 indicates that 25% of female people aged 15-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence. Data from the Nigerian Police Force and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) show a high under-reporting rate, with only about 10% of sexual violence cases reported to authorities.
Karimot Odebode, the founder and project lead of the Black Girl’s Dream Initiative (BGDI), a youth-led organisation, works to end Female Genital Mutilation and promote Education and leadership through Arts, Advocacy, and Technology. In 2020, a case of assault was reported to her institution in Ibadan, where a father had molested his six-year-old daughter.
The mother reiterated to the BDGI that she suspected her daughter had been assaulted while she was bathing her one Saturday morning. The following day, she decided to observe her daughter for any indication.
The girl’s mother further stated that she’d seen the father of the child leaving their bedroom, with the child lying on the bed as he left. She approached her child, only to notice semen from this six-year-old’s privates. She hurriedly took a picture of this and reported to the Black Girl Dreams Initiative to know what further actions were needed.
BGDI assisted this mother and child in getting admitted into the hospital, where tests were carried out on the child, and it was found that the six-year-old girl had several sexually transmitted diseases. While the child was being admitted to the hospital, the organisation filed a lawsuit against the father. The case was then brought to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
In Nigeria, the Supreme Court has addressed child abuse and sentencing through various judgments and legal interpretations. Some key points include:
- The Act provides a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of children from abuse and exploitation. It includes provisions for preventing and responding to child abuse.
- The Nigerian Supreme Court has reinforced the Child Rights Act and other related laws through various rulings. For example, in cases involving child abuse, the Court has emphasised the importance of upholding the rights of the child as stipulated in the Act.
- The Supreme Court has established precedents that guide the sentencing of perpetrators of child abuse. Sentences vary based on the severity of the abuse, but the Court often underscores the need for stringent penalties to deter such crimes and protect victims.
- The Court has set legal precedents that influence lower courts’ handling of child abuse cases, ensuring that sentences are consistent with the protection of children’s rights and the severity of the offence.
However, contrary to the legal framework provided by the Child Rights Act, the judge in charge of the case called the child and her mother to his chambers, where they were met with a surprise: the husband and other family members. The judge had called them in to ask the child’s mother to forgive her husband and let bygones be bygones. Refusing to do so, the mother sought help from BGDI and was later moved to another country for safety whilst the case was ongoing.
Presently, the girl child in question is being provided with psychotherapy support for the abuse she experienced from her father. The survivor is recovering from the trauma and awaits the day she will be well enough to return to school.
Editor’s note: The identities of the personalities have been anonymised for confidentiality.
