Rape: A Growing Social Malaise

The number of rape cases reported in the
media within the last two weeks alone
should serve as a wake-up call in Nigeria. Even more worrisome is the new dimension to this inglorious act where toddlers are taken advantage of.
In addition to the cases involving a two-year old girl and a 20 weeks old girl that  were allegedly raped by full grown men at different places, the incident where a man raped his younger cousin and killed her, clearly calls for action.
While we feel completely appalled by these bestial acts, we are sickened by the fact that these are but a negligible fraction of the growing challenge rape now poses in Nigeria. Also worrisome is the number of incest, rape and related acts that are deliberately covered up.
The attitude of the public to cover up rape and related indecent acts can no longer be supported. Indeed, the tradition of hiding the crime to save a few faces has tended to encourage it the more. Society must speak up and roundly condemn the trend so that things don’t get completely out of hand.
Already, some informed minds are tracing the trend to possible psychological problems, some others are blaming it on demonic activities, yet, others trace it to the increasing number of idle hands and the near collapse of morality in the society. But the truth is that there is a growing social decay.
As usual, some people will be quick to call on government to do something, while parents, religious bodies and society as a whole have failed to take responsibility for morality, decency and discipline across the land. In some families, incest is no longer a taboo. Society has also grown from watching blue films to attending nude parties.
But this cannot continue to define the quality and sanctity of life in our country. Indeed, the times call for all hands to be on deck, if for nothing else, to protect the defenceless girls and women generally who are taken advantage of by stronger, but depraved men.
Addressing this social malaise must begin with the family where parents must always keep an eye on their children especially girls; where under-aged girls are not released to extended family or for hawking or as domestic staff; where the needed education and socialisation are given to children.
On the part of government, the Child Rights Act must be put to its fullest use to deter people from taking the rights of children for granted. Indeed, the time to make penalties under such laws more stringent appears to have come. Similarly, matters in this category should not be allowed to linger as other matters do in court.
Government, under its relevant agencies must treat rape cases with more seriousness. Apart from the many technicalities brought into rape cases that discourage victims from pressing charges, the time wasted in the courts and the less than adequate punishment for offenders call for a total review of the law on rape.
While we expect the schools to organise counselling sessions for girls as before, the civil society organisations including the Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) have a lot to do. Their roles in counselling, representation in court, re-assurance and re-orientation of victims have become demanding now more than ever before. At a time when offenders are emboldened to threaten their victims to shut-up, good people must not sit and watch.
Meanwhile, women who are violated must not forget that if they do not speak up, nothing can happen. It is almost a truism that if people do not know about the crime in order for the offenders to be punished, the tendency is for the same thing to happen to more women. On the other hand, persons so defiled can be psychologically wounded and maladjusted if not helped.
Apart from the question of infringement on their rights, women are too important to be treated that way. Society as a whole needs women to be fully realised, protected and   fulfilled. No nation can make progress when its women are broken.
We call on all well meaning persons to condemn this rising occurrence of rape and to commit to taking up roles that would expose offenders and ultimately bring justice to those victimised.