The Federal Government has been urged to establish special courts to try rape cases and other sexual offences to fast-track prosecution and conviction of those found guilty.
The SARC Network made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the 5th Network Meeting of Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARCs) in Nigeria organised by the British Council under its European Union (EU) funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme.
Speaking on the “A Sexual Offender’s Register as a public safety tool”, the Manager, Access to Justice for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), RoLAC, Ms. Priscilla Ankut, said it was disheartening that prosecution of rape cases drag for years and thus mostly denied justice to victims of rape and other sexual attacks.
“A specialized court to try rape cases and other sexual offences would make the prosecution of sexual offences faster.
“A situation where an 11-year old was raped and the offender was being prosecuted for years, such that the victim has become an adult and many things might have also changed,” she said.
She also spoke on the importance of the sexual offenders register to name and shame those found guilty and convicted of rape and other sexual offences, to stem the menace.
Speaking earlier, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador, Ketil Karlsen, said sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a global pandemic that requires fundamental and coordinated action that would guarantee the safety and security of vulnerable women and children across the world.
“In Nigeria, the European Union continues to highlight the importance of the fight against SGBV through a campaign aimed at raising public awareness, as well as a call to action by the citizens and the government,” Karlsen said.
Also, Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, Chair, SARC Network and Member, United Nations Civil Society Advisory Board on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, said the SARC Network supports a best practice model toward a national referral mechanism that provides professional, integrated and confidential support services for survivors of sexual violence, to aid their recovery and obtain redress.
On his part, the Programme Director, British Council Security Justice and Conflict Programme, Dr. Bob Arnot, said that “under our EU-funded programmes, the Managing Conflct in Nigeria (MCN), and the RoLAC programme, the organisation has supported the establishment of more SARCs in Yobe, Adamawa, Maiduguri and Anambra and that a total of 15 SARCs now exist across the country, while further SARCs are anticipated in Edo, Ekiti and the FCT.
Similarly, Dr. Farouk Jega, the Country Director, Pathfinder International, who was represented by the Technical Adviser, Gender of the organisation, Mrs. Favour Adams, urged the federal and state governments to take ownership of the SARCs like Kaduna State to get the maximum benefit of the initiative.
