Ekiti proposes medical castration for s*x offenders – TheNigerialawyer

To curb gender- based violence, Ekiti State has proposed medical
castration for sex offenders.

The government said the proposed stringent measures were to
complement life imprisonment through amendment of the Gender Based
Violence Prohibition (Law) 2011.

Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, is seeking the
amendment of the Gender Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, 2011, to
include further capital punishments that could deter the
perpetrators at the State House of Assembly.

At the public hearing of the GVB amendment bill at the Assembly
on Thursday, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr.
Wale Fapohunda, said the amendment into the bill may include
medical Castration , compulsory psychiatric test and
disqualification of offenders from benefiting from any government
social investment programmes.

“We plead with the Assembly to have expeditious and holistic
consideration of the amendment into this bill, because it is to
provide legal framework for Governor Kayode Fayemi’s zero tolerance
for all forms of gender violence .

“The increasing cases of rape and defiling of little children in
Ekiti requires urgent attention. The amendment being sought may
include imprisonment and medical Castration of offenders among
others not stipulated in the existing law,” he said.

Mrs. Fayemi said her office had been overwhelmed with complaints
bordering on all forms of violence, particularly against women
since 2018, saying amendment of the bill becomes imperative to give
the victims voices and for offenders to be held accountable.

The First Lady added that the best form of injustice in any
society is for offenders to be let off the hook without justifiable
reasons, assuring that strengthening the law will ensure punishment
for violators and allow people to take ownership .

“To make the law effective, we are going decentralise the
referral centres and all the local governments will have one each.
You don’t need to come to the state capital before lodging your
complaints.

“The GVB Management Committee has been brought back to attend to
complaints . I feel distressed to hear when we returned past year
that the committee didn’t meet for for four years after we
left.

“I am not the owner of the law but for men and women in Ekiti.
We only championed it. It is to protect us , our family and society
against all forms of discrimination , so that we can all live life
of respect and dignity.

“Violence against women keeps increasing in Ekiti. We appeal to
the House to pass this law expeditiously”.

Speaker Funminiyi Afuye and the Chairman, House Committe on
Women Affairs, Hon Adekemi Balogun, said the law when amended, will
elevate gender issues to human rights in the state.

Afuye added that there was need for people to be proactive to
ensure that gender based violence is banished in Ekiti.