Nigeria: Sex Abuse - Parents of Toddler-Victim Reject Judgement
http://allafrica.com/stories/200804141214.html
An NGO, the Women's Rights and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), has vowed to appeal against the judgment of a court which gave an accused rapist an option of fine.
An Upper Area Court in Lafia had sentenced Stephen Takure to 12 months imprisonment with an option of N3,000 fine for sexually abusing a toddler.
[SNIP]
Mr. Mohammed Ya'u and his wife, the parents of the one year-old victim of sexual abuse, had petitioned to WRAPA, shortly after the Area court's judgment.
"Our daughter of one year, nine months was on February 19, sexual assaulted by our neighbour, Stephen Takure, a 27-year old man.
"The case was reported to Divisional Police Headquarter in Mararaba, Nasarawa State where the suspect was arrested and the case transferred to force CID in Lafia," Yau said.
"At the end of the day all we got was a judgment of 12 months imprisonment, with N3,000 option of fine and N20,000 compensation for medicals.
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This is an Outrage!!!.
Just in case you missed it, the man was given the option of a 3000 naira fine (thats about £15/$25) or 12 months in jail for raping a one year old girl..... this is happening in the same country where the government is proposing a five year jail term for anyone 'convicted of being openly gay or practising gay sex with a consenting adult'
Do we not think there's something seriously wrong with our priorities??? Where is Akinola and the other religious nutters? Where are the people shouting about immorality in our society? Where are the laws that protect our kids from monsters like Stephen Takure? Where is Senator Eme Ekaette? (the silly woman making noise about indecent dressing)
Gary Glitter and his ilk might as well move to Naija, No Gays please but Paedophiles are certainly welcome...
also see 'getting our priorities Straight' (blog posting from january 2006)
6 comments:
Haba Ijebuman,
Hitting on gays from the pulpit is a better galvanising call than hitting on paedophiles.
I can well see why this judgement looked good enough for the judge to give, there is not enough moral outrage against paedophiles or the sexual abuse of children in Nigeria.
I know that too well. Unfortunately.
Akin
@Akin
I do remember that post...
I just do not understand why our lawmakers refuse to address the issue of child abuse in our society, we make a lot of noise about religion and immorality, but we turn a blind eye to the abuse of the most vulnerable citizens of our country...
The [snip] should be applied to the man's (abunna). For once I am lost for words...option of fine...kai, what is going on?
I'm shuddering at the thoughts of the priorities of the legal system in our Country. I'm shuddering at the thoughts of Stephen Kure paying N3,000 and walking out a free man.
I'm shuddering at the thoughts of a 1-yr old girl not realizing that her innocence has been stolen away from her, even at such an impressionable young age, when she is still unconscious that there is such a book called the dictionary where the meaning of what has just been done to her is recorded!
okay, I once saw a report on NTA where they interviewed male teachers that were sleeping with their male primary school and secondary school students. The whole discussion was too civilized, I didn't understand why they weren't having a discussion with the teachers from their Kirikiri cells!
Now, to read this and realize that I wasn't losing my mind when I got upset about how nicely they were treating those pedophiles.
What is so sad is that most people will read what you wrote and not really understand why the resulting judgment is problematic. It always seems as if things in Nigeria are upside down. Why worry about who some gay guy/gal sleeps with at night when there are acts of violence against children and women in our society? Who someone sleeps with is the least of our problems. And, yet, we, Nigerians allow ourselves to be led blindly, like unthinking sheep. God help Nigeria.
This is so sick and sad. Words fail me. In short... the paedophile is free to roam the streets and claim other victims. Whatever happened to that 'good old sharia law' (they are always trying to force down people's throats) which is at least appropriate in this case - 'chop off any part of the body that causes you to sin.' If they can use it for thieves, they can certainly use it for paedophiles.
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