- Too many violations, too little progress
An eight-year-old girl (allegedly) defiled by her stepfather, Mr. Happiness Essien, claimed that he started having carnal knowledge of her last year,” said a recent report. It was alarming enough.
But the report was even more disturbing because it was yet another story of a child victim of sexual abuse. Regrettably, the scale of the problem is escalating, and recent statistics by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) paint an ugly picture.
UNICEF’s Communications Officer, Mrs. Ijeoma Onuoha-Egwu, said at a recent workshop on Violence Against Children (VAC) in Calabar, Cross River State: “From our survey, over nine million children are exposed to sexual abuse yearly in Nigeria and it is very unfortunate that the people who perpetrate this evil are people who morally, socially and statutorily are supposed to protect the rights of the children”.
This observation is corroborated by the account of the eight-year-old victim in Lagos who was quoted as saying: “It happened in the room at daytime. It was during the holiday, and my mummy went out, so it was just me and Uncle Happiness at home. When I shouted, he told me to shut up. He said I should not tell my mummy, that if I tell her, he would stop giving me money.”
According to the report, the little girl said “the accused had sex with her up to six times”. The report also said: “The accused has since been charged to court. The 31-year-old man… was arrested after the mother of the victim reported the case to the police station in Afonka, Shasha, Egbeda.”
Certainly, what the little girl experienced was an act of violence. The violence was aggravated by the status of the alleged perpetrator who was supposed to be her protector.
There is no doubt that sexual violence is sick conduct, and it is even more so when children are the victims. There should be no space for paedophiles in any decent society.
The victim’s mother should be commended for her principled courage, which prompted her to expose the accused. Initially, she reportedly sought the help of a Lagos-based NGO, Esther Child Rights Foundation, when she found out that her husband had sexually abused her daughter. By taking the matter to the police, she demonstrated a sense of what was appropriate in the situation.
It is relevant to note that during the launch of the UN Year of Action to End Violence Against Children in Abuja last year, the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, highlighted the role of the police: “Police record shows that between January and August 2015, a total of 133 cases of child violence involving 141 victims were reported to the police. Out of this figure, 112 were conclusively investigated; 21 are currently under investigation; 158 suspects were arrested, while 118 offenders were charged to court.”
Violence against children takes many forms, and sexual abuse is just one of them. But whatever form it takes, it is outrageous and condemnable. Onuoha-Egwu said: “Six in every 10 children, which represents 60 percent, suffer one act of violence or the other. Majority of children surveyed witnessed violence in their homes; 66 percent of females and 50 percent of males witnessed violence in their homes before the age of 18 years.”
According to her, the major objective of the UNICEF workshop was “to call the media to action for aggressive reportage on violence against children”. More importantly, the media should be at the forefront of a continuous enlightenment campaign against the violation of child rights.
Taking action against child-related violence is a social responsibility. The bottom line is that all children should be safe from abuse, violence, exploitation, and neglect. It is a moral imperative.
