Lagos Records Over 10,000 S*xual Violence, Abuses In Two Years

Lagos State Government has disclosed that 10,000 cases of domestic violence, including sexual abuse, have been perpetrated against adults and children between May 2019 and August 26, 2021.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, disclosed this in Alausa, Ikeja, lamenting that over 150 cases are being recorded daily as against less than 50 previously.

Onigbanjo, who is also the chairman of Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), while briefing journalists as part of activities to commemorate the 2021 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, said despite the team’s initiatives as well as the zero-tolerance declared in the state, it has continued to experience a steady increase of formal reportage of domestic violence daily.

The commissioner stated that “under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, DSVRT, from May 2019 till August 26, 2021, has handled 10,007 cases, which are into two categories of adults and children.

“The breakdown of the cases shows that 4,150 domestic violence, 177 rape cases, 255 attempt to commit rape/sexual assault, 246 sexual assault by penetration/threat, 877 other separation, not taking responsibilities of the children, neglect, custody of the child, Non-GBV, among others; 436 child abuses/physical assaults, 271 defilement cases, 13 defilement by minor to minor, 454 child labour, abduction neglect and others as well as 148 sexual harassment and molestation cases.

“A total of 2,980 children have experienced emotional abuse (these children have been exposed to domestic violence within the home).

“Some of these children have been taken through counselling programmes to ensure they are able to psychologically deal with the events they have witnessed without it having a permanent and negative impact on them.

“Since May 2019, the team began to attend to an average of 150 new cases monthly. We have also witnessed an increase in reporting of cases from other states, mostly from Ogun and Oyo States. In the past two years, a total of 526 cases occurred outside Lagos. Such cases are promptly referred to the relevant agencies in their respective states.”

Onigbanjo added that the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership (LPILP), as well as the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) provided free legal representation to 188 survivors of domestic violence, ranging from judicial separation, divorce, custody of children, mediation and settlement.

Regarding provision of shelter for survivors, he said the Ministry of Youth and Social Development as well as strategic partners like non-governmental organisations, including God’s Home for Women, Day Spring, Project Alert, and Cee Hope, have played key roles in ensuring rescued survivors are evacuated to a safer environment of shelter homes.

According to him, all the survivors of sexual assault received medical attention from comprehensive Primary Health Care Centres, General Hospitals and sexual assault referral centres such as Mirabel Centre, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), as well as Idera Centre.

On child protection law, Onigbanjo stated that: “In view of DSVRT’s mandate to implement the Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection, all reports of Child Protection Policy contravention in schools were duly responded to.

“From May 2019 till date, the attention of DSVRT, Office of Education Quality Assurance as well as Department of School Social Work of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development has been drawn to incidents of child abuse in 37 schools.

“All erring schools were investigated by the Office of Education Quality Assurance in the Ministry of Education. All the sexual violence-related cases are being prosecuted by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and judgment has been secured in two of the cases.

“One school was shut down as a result of infractions, whilst one was requested to relocate in view of the safeguarding and child protection concerns raised during the investigation,” the commissioner said.