By Abdulazeem Olamide, Ologuntere
In a bid to eradicate the evil act of rape or any form of sexual
assault/harassment, all hands must be on deck. In other words, the
campaign against the rampant occurrence of rape requires our
collective effort.
The fact that we live in an abnormal society, where crimes are
being committed on a daily basis including rape can never be
overruled. The reason why there’s an outcry is because of the
recent cases that came to the fore. What about all other cases that
have been happening without our knowledge? Father assaulting
daughter, teacher assaulting pupil, stranger on the street
assaulting his/her victim.
The point is that there are so many incidences of sexual
assaults and it has been on the increase basically because we live
in an abnormal society. Having known the status of the society we
live in, what do we do to protect ourselves and loved ones from
this evil act that has an excruciating impact?
It is not enough to fight behind the keyboards or have an
online/on-sight campaign saying NO TO RAPE. I repeat, the fact that
we live in an abnormal society should never be overruled.
Rape happens on streets, in cars, in schools, in parks, and in
alleys. The perpetrators have no regard for age, race, or social
status. Rape is not a selective crime. It is in most cases,
random.
Personal safety, however, must begin with individuals. Help
protect yourself by taking the steps to protect yourself from
sexual assault. It is high time we started enlightening ourselves
with the preventive measures because they go a long way to curb the
situation. Never walk alone at night, report any teacher, lecturer
or guy that touches you in sensitive parts of your body, avoid
blind trusts, don’t visit a friend or stranger in a quite or dark
place, and above all, never put yourself in a position that would
make you become a victim of sexual assault.
Similarly, parents should enlighten their children about sex
education. The effect of this will go a long way. Will it be right
to conclude that both sexes are responsible for the occurrence of
rape? No. We just live in an abnormal society!
Of course, there’s no justification or whatsoever for rape but
prevention they say is better than cure. Let us understand the
society we live in, a society that consists of perverted and
mentally incapacitated persons who will always exhibit their
animalistic behavior, irrespective of the outcry and vociferations.
That way, we can collectively conquer this immoral and illicit act
that has become prevalent in our society.
People have complained bitterly about the criminal justice
system in Nigeria, that is, there is a delay in the dispensation of
justice and the punishment that has been attributed to rape in our
laws are not sufficient to serve as deterrence to the assailants
and prospective rapists.
I further recommend that special courts be created with strong
legislative wordings on the time within which the prosecution
should prove his case, time to raise no case submission, the time
within which the defendant is to open his defence, among others
with a proviso that the times are not extendable. It is recommended
that death penalty be made as the punishment for rape, this shall
automatically lead to the alteration/amendment of the existing laws
on rapes or perhaps, enactment of new ones.
Abdulazeem Olamide, Ologuntere is a
Lagos-based Legal Practitioner. He can be reached via Linkedln:
Abdulazeem Ologuntere, Facebook: Abdulazeem Ologuntere, email:
azeemologs@gmail.com and phone number:
+2348138563786.
By Abdulazeem Olamide, Ologuntere
In a bid to eradicate the evil act of rape or any form of sexual
assault/harassment, all hands must be on deck. In other words, the
campaign against the rampant occurrence of rape requires our
collective effort.
The fact that we live in an abnormal society, where crimes are
being committed on a daily basis including rape can never be
overruled. The reason why there’s an outcry is because of the
recent cases that came to the fore. What about all other cases that
have been happening without our knowledge? Father assaulting
daughter, teacher assaulting pupil, stranger on the street
assaulting his/her victim.
The point is that there are so many incidences of sexual
assaults and it has been on the increase basically because we live
in an abnormal society. Having known the status of the society we
live in, what do we do to protect ourselves and loved ones from
this evil act that has an excruciating impact?
It is not enough to fight behind the keyboards or have an
online/on-sight campaign saying NO TO RAPE. I repeat, the fact that
we live in an abnormal society should never be overruled.
Rape happens on streets, in cars, in schools, in parks, and in
alleys. The perpetrators have no regard for age, race, or social
status. Rape is not a selective crime. It is in most cases,
random.
Personal safety, however, must begin with individuals. Help
protect yourself by taking the steps to protect yourself from
sexual assault. It is high time we started enlightening ourselves
with the preventive measures because they go a long way to curb the
situation. Never walk alone at night, report any teacher, lecturer
or guy that touches you in sensitive parts of your body, avoid
blind trusts, don’t visit a friend or stranger in a quite or dark
place, and above all, never put yourself in a position that would
make you become a victim of sexual assault.
Similarly, parents should enlighten their children about sex
education. The effect of this will go a long way. Will it be right
to conclude that both sexes are responsible for the occurrence of
rape? No. We just live in an abnormal society!
Of course, there’s no justification or whatsoever for rape but
prevention they say is better than cure. Let us understand the
society we live in, a society that consists of perverted and
mentally incapacitated persons who will always exhibit their
animalistic behavior, irrespective of the outcry and vociferations.
That way, we can collectively conquer this immoral and illicit act
that has become prevalent in our society.
People have complained bitterly about the criminal justice
system in Nigeria, that is, there is a delay in the dispensation of
justice and the punishment that has been attributed to rape in our
laws are not sufficient to serve as deterrence to the assailants
and prospective rapists.
I further recommend that special courts be created with strong
legislative wordings on the time within which the prosecution
should prove his case, time to raise no case submission, the time
within which the defendant is to open his defence, among others
with a proviso that the times are not extendable. It is recommended
that death penalty be made as the punishment for rape, this shall
automatically lead to the alteration/amendment of the existing laws
on rapes or perhaps, enactment of new ones.
Abdulazeem Olamide, Ologuntere is a
Lagos-based Legal Practitioner. He can be reached via Linkedln:
Abdulazeem Ologuntere, Facebook: Abdulazeem Ologuntere, email:
azeemologs@gmail.com and phone number:
+2348138563786.