WHO STOLE HER INNOCENCE?

By Ebirim, Ozioma L.

A rape victim being prevented from shouting for help

(photo source: shutterstock)

According to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, ‘child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse that includes sexual activity with a minor.’ Violence against children has taken different shapes. The damage to the psyche of the child cannot be quantified.
Nigerian Criminal Codes define rape as “unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or a girl, without her consent.” The penal code applicable in Northern Nigeria, defines rape in the same manner but provides that “sexual intercourse by man with his own wife is not rape, if she has attained the age of puberty.” Both criminal codes imposed life imprisonment as punishment for the offence.

A traumatised child

(photo credit: crystal graphics)

Of all the violent acts against minors, child rape remains the most traumatising. The most painful aspect of it all is that these acts of wickedness and perversion are carried out by close family associates, persons in power, mostly trusted by parents of these children or the children themselves. Perpetrators of child rape shouldn’t be treated with kids gloves.

Childhood has changed in the last decade. Gone were the days children played naked in the rain, it now becomes a taboo to be a child in this day and time where predators and paedophiles are on the prowl. One remembers years ago when your ‘uncle’ was indeed an uncle, when a teacher, cousin answered to the name they were called. Times really have changed. Even some fathers are not worthy to bear such names.

                                              R-L, A grandfather rapist with his Lawyer
                                                        (Video source: YouTube)

WHY THE HIGH RATE OF RAPE?

We are living in a culture that celebrates hooliganism, a system that favours the have’s and deals with the have-nots. The collective mentality of the people has become questionable. We live in a world in which it is becoming increasingly difficult for ‘normal’ human beings to continue being who they are. A culture where evil holds sway. The innocence of the child is stolen, every now and then, the piercing cry of a child is heard. ‘Who dunnit’? the desecration of children is fast becoming a norm in our clime; we are really losing it.

There has to be the triumph of tough love. An abused child feels nothing but hatred for the society. Why would that child care what happens to anyone for that matter? When a child’s sanctity is stolen, what else is left? Yet there is no known punishment for perpetrators of child rape since offenders were released for lack of evidence.  This is a tacit approval for the devilish trend to escalate. Shouldn’t the offence carry a capital punishment? Some of these children never recover from it all. They stay ruined for life since they can’t seem to erase the picture from their memory. Would you blame them?
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English says, rape is the act of forcing sexual intercourse or other sexual activity upon another person, without their consent and/or against their will.
                               
                                         Mrs. Aisha Buhari, wife of President Buhari
                                                  (picture source: bing.com)

Mrs. Aisha Buhari recently decried the level of violence against women and children and called on government at all levels to enforce the law on rape. “We are aware of the national law on rape …. Which states imprisonment ranging from 12 to 20years. I advocate for the enforcement of this law at all level. Unfortunately, children are the most vulnerable, being exploited at different stages of their lives.”

“It is my hope that with this renewed commitment by agencies, necessary steps will be taken to end violence against women and children particularly where this is rampant.”
According to Kidshealth, Rape – forced, unwanted sexual intercourse – can happen to males and females of any age. Rape is a sexual assault. It’s not about love or sex. It’s about power. A rapist uses actual or threatened force or violence to exert control over another person. Some rapists use drugs or alcohol to take away a person’s ability to fight back.

Rape is a crime against another and because it is a crime, it is punishable by the law in Nigeria. The criminal code defines an offence as an act or omission which renders the person doing it liable to punishment under the criminal code.

A victim of rape resting on a bathtub

(photo credit: crystal graphics)

Children who are raped have been brain-washed into believing something sinister would happen to them if they disclosed the act to anyone, so, most times, it takes extra effort and vigilance to detect.

On the other hand, the Convention on the Rights of the child, defines a child as ‘a person below the age of 18, unless the laws of a particular country set the legal age for adulthood younger.

Louise, a survivor of child rape said, “I am a survivor of repeated oral rape as a child of four, and later between the ages of eight and ten, multiple types of rape by a close family friend. If the earlier assaults were bad, the later were most terrifying ordeal. I thought he would kill me… The despair and entrapment I sometimes felt caused me to think about suicide. But I am extremely thankful that my life spirit was stronger.”

Child rape unfortunately has become part of our daily life. This is because our value system has fallen so much so that evil is openly celebrated with offenders carrying the day always.

At the tail end of its tenure, the last Senate passed the Sexual Offences Bill, 2015 which prescribes life imprisonment for rapists and those who have sexual intercourse with children under 11 years. If approved, the punishment for rapists and others who sexually abuse children would be life imprisonment while other sex offenders would be sentenced to some various prison terms.

WEAKNESS OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

(photo credit: bing.com)

The weakness of the law to prosecute offenders has contributed to the prevalence of the high rate of child rape in the society. We are yet to see instances of stiff penalties against sex offenders. The way it is, they are walking away free without so much as a thought on the fate of the victim. Offenders are like time-bombs waiting to explode, looking for the next victim immediately they regain freedom.

Perpetrators are not deterred because the law is weak. It is rather very worrisome that the police charged with the responsibility of arrests and prosecution of offenders are often implicated as perpetrators. One wonders where lies the hope of the victims?  Africa Check reveals that a 2006 Amnesty International report accused the Nigerian police of not only failing to prosecute rapes, but also of “committing rape in many different circumstances, both on and off duty.”

Coping with the effects of sexual assault can be very disturbing. The disruption of the child’s well-being most times lapse into adulthood and if not checked, she gets lost in the misery. The consequences on the survivor vary but they could experience an array of feelings from time to time. Trauma, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, anger, distrust, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a general feeling of insecurity as the case may be.

CONCLUSION

A rapist and his victim

(photo credit: shutterstock)

The only panacea to the injustice faced by survivors would be to ensure that justice prevails. It is good to have laws to check paedophiles and rampaging men but without adequate enforcement, the law would not serve any cause and the trend would continue. As a matter of fact, parents/guardians should pay more attention to their children/wards. In most cases, justice does not prevail leaving the family distraught and victimised.

The Punch Newspaper Editorial of May 19, 2016 titled, “Rising pandemic of child sexual abuse.” captured it more succinctly as it states, “Nigeria is evolving into a child sexual basket case.” How we got here is not the issue. For us to move forward, all hands must be on deck to drive far away from our midst the hydra-headed monster that has pillaged our children’s innocence.