In the past one year, cases of rape have taken the centre stage of our beloved country. Hardly a day passes without a case of rape being reported in one part of the country or another.
Many people believe that the increase is happening because there is no diligent prosecution of the perpetrators of the act.
Rapists are not people deserving our sympathy rather our wrath and fury. These are people who cause death and anguish to their victims some of whom are very young.
Hence, in order to combat gender-based violence and rape culture, we must hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
Rapists need to be endangered because their ungodly behaviour is against humanity. Their negative attitude exposes victims to danger, especially sexually-related diseases such as papilloma virus and herpes.
The effects of rape can include both the initial physical trauma as well as deep psychological trauma of the victim. Although rape victims commonly report injuries and issues with their reproductive health after the sexual assault, rape doesn’t always involve physical force. The most common and lasting effects of rape are mental health concerns and diminished social confidence.
I would like to propose that, whoever is caught with rape should be exposed to the general public. I believe the fear of being caught and stigmatised would help greatly in reducing high rate of rape.
Jemimah Ezekiel, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri
