Fapohunda Assures Ekiti Children Of MOJ's Commitment To Child Defilement Free Society

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Abasi Femi Oguntayo

In commemoration of the 2019 Children's Day Celebration, the Attorney General and Commissioner For Justice in Ekiti State, Olawale Fapohunda has assured Ekiti Children of his ministry's commitment to ensure Ekiti is a child defilement free society as he said that the celebration of children should be more than taking pictures and making speeches.

In his several tweets on his twitter handle (@AGWalefapohunda)  today, Monday 27th, 2019, Fapohunda explained how he led the prosecution of a man accused of child defilement last week. He said the man sexually assaulted a 12-year old girl.

According to him, "how do you examine a 13-year old rape victim ( she was 12 when she was raped) in a manner that complies with applicable Law and Practice? How do I ask a 13-year old if there was penetration?

"As if reading my mind, she described in a very matter-of-factly and with the innocence of a child, how the defendant who she frequently referred to as "Daddy" stuck his penis into her vaginal and she bled.

"I expected the usual Naija exclamation or show of emotions from court personnel. When none came, it struck me that the abnormal in our society has now become the normal.

"Our collective sense of revulsion has been so abused by the frequency of child defilement in our society, that the revelation of a child that "a daddy" stuck his penis into her vaginal did not as much get a "haaaa".

"Girl-child victims of defilement are being let down on multiple fronts in Nigeria -The Law, Family, Society and the State".

The Attorney General however announced that in Ekiti State, the Fayemi's administration had adopted some of the most stringent punitive measures against child defilement.

He said: "apart from the vigorous  prosecution of offenders, we have made sure that convicted sex offenders do not benefit from early release or Mr. Governor's Powers of Prerogative of Mercy.

"We have also opened a Register of Sex Offenders to enable us keep proper record of offenders and with a view to seeking tougher purnishment for repeat offenders.

"Recently, following our findings that these measures are not as effective as we envisaged, I announced new measures including compulsory psychiatric tests of sex offenders especially where a minor is a  victim, publication of names of convicted sex offenders on the website of the Ministry Of Justice and pasting their pictures in their communities with an added advisory to their traditional rulers on their status".

"Today, I have directed the Solicitor-General to review the relevant provisions of our Criminal Code Law. In particular, we need to ensure that victims of sexual violence including minors are not subjected to re-victimisation by the provisions of our laws. 

"Our response to child defilement cannot be limited to prosecution. We need to ensure that child victims benefit from free counselling, psychological support and medical assistance. We continue to pursue and with added energy our plan for one-stop Sexual Assault Referral Center in Ekiti State. 

"On this day, I assure all the Children in Ekiti State that the MOJ will continue to work for a child defilement free society", he said.

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