Children’s Day Should Mean A Lot More Than Selfies And Speeches. TheNigerialawyer

Last week I led the prosecution of a man accused of child
defilement. He sexually assaulted a 12-year old girl. No matter how
many times one prosecutes sex offenders, nothing can possibly
prepare anyone for this experience. The child was the first
prosecution witness.

How do you examine a 13-year old rape victim ( she was 12 when
she was raped)  in a manner that complies with applicable Law
and Practice? How do I ask a 13-year old if there was penetration?.
As if reading my mind, she described in a very matter-of-factly and
with the innocence of a child, how the defendant who she
frequently referred to as “Daddy” stuck his penis into her vaginal
and she bled. 

I expected the usual Naija exclamation or show of emotions from
court personnel. When none came, it struck me that the abnormal in
our society  has now become the normal. Our collective sense
of revulsion has been so abused by the frequency of child
defilement, that the revelation of a child that “a daddy” stuck his
penis into her vaginal did not as much as get a “haaa”. 

Girl-child victims of defilement are being let down on multiple
fronts in Nigeria -The Law, Family, Society and the State. In Ekiti
State, the Fayemi Administration has adopted some of the most
stringent punitive measures against child defilement. Apart from
the vigorous  prosecution of offenders, we have made sure that
convicted sex offenders do not benefit from early release or Mr.
Governor’s Powers of Prerogative of Mercy. We have also opened a
Register of Sex Offenders to enable us keep proper record of
offenders and with a view to seeking tougher purnishment for repeat
offenders.  

Recently, following our findings that these measures are not as
effective as we envisaged, I announced new measures including
compulsory psychiatric tests of sex offenders especially where a
minor is a  victim, publication of names of convicted sex
offenders on the website of the MOJ and pasting their pictures in
their communities with an added advisory to their traditional
rulers on their status. 

Today, I have directed the Solicitor-General to review the
relevant provisions of our Criminal Code Law. In particular, we
need to ensure that victims of sexual violence including minors are
not subjected to  revictimisation by the provisions of our
laws. Our response to child defilement cannot be limited to
prosecution. We need to ensure that child victims benefit from free
counselling, psychological support and medical assistance. We will
continue to pursue and with added energy our plan for a One-Stop
Sexual Assault Referral Center in Ekiti State. 

On this day, I assure all the Children in Ekiti State that the
MOJ will continue to work for a child defilement free society.

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