STOLEN INNOCENCE

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.

 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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.