Sexual and Gender Based Violence Justice Network, SJN, has decried the challenges faced in prosecuting sexual violence cases in Enugu state government and appealed to the State government to create a separate court for sexual abuse cases and revive the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law VAPP law.
The group made the appeal on Friday ,when leaders of SNJ paid an advocacy visit to the Director of Public Prosection, Enugu state, Ngozi Ikem- Okoye in her office at the Ministry of Justice ,Enugu.
Pix- R-L, Ugwu, Alozie ,Ikem-Okoye,Obiegue
Speaking, Enugu state Coordinator ,CJN, Margret Obiegue, informed the DPP that they were on an advocacy visit, to advocate for a review of VAPP law, seek better ways of handling sexual / gender violence cases, and attract private patnership.
She said the appeal was necessary because of the poor implementation of VAPP law and challenges faced ,prosecuting sexual abuse cases and getting justice for the survivors.
Obiegue
Obiegue informed the DPP that CJN is a Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations, with clusters which include the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists,NAWOJ, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Justice network, SJN, Chairperson,League of Women Voters and Initiative for Girls and Women Enlightement, IGWE, among others.
Responding , the Director of Public Prosecution ,Ministry of Justice,Enugu,
Ngozi Ikem- Okoye, lamented the challenges they face handling rape ,and other sexual abuse cases. She said that they had sexual violence cases but prosecution of the cases suffered set back and most times, survivors do not report the cases.
Speaking on the challenges of handling sexual violence cases, the Director, said that there is no Witness support fund for the prosecutors. The prosecutors give transport fare to the witnesses or survivors from their pockets. Most time, family of the victims will not report sexual abuse cases,, sometimes, they will collect money from the perpetrators and will want the matter to be struck out.
She lamented that some Judges, Lawyers, traditional rurlers, Clegymen and Policemen fraustrate prosecution by collecting bribe from perpetrators and killing the case by striking it out or taking the survivors out of the town.
“Even Judges trivialize the cases. Our female Judges trivialize the matter. They grant frivolous applications.
“Some times influencial people will mount pressure on you not to prosecute the case. Sometimes, some they will amend the charge, sometimes the survivor’s family will embarrass you,, they will go behind and collect money from the perpetrators and tell you they have settled,” Ikem-Okoye said.
She also lamented shortage of Judges, saying that Enugu state is in dear need of Judges and something urgent should be done about it, so that justice would be dispensed on time.
The DPP disclosed that most times they were threatened by the perpetrators , mocked, and denied by the Survivors’ families. Sometimes, Police will play along with the perpetrators and influence the survivors to drop their cases .
She said that Enugu state is slow in responding to the VAPP law and appealed to the government to review the law, saying that a review of the VAPP law is very important.
“A lot of people are ignorant of the Child’s Rights law. We don’t have family court . We have over 100 cases but no prosecution. Once we got sexual violence cases and called the family of the survivors, they will not come.
Pix- L-R, Obiegue, Alozie,Ugwu
“There should be a law that will punish any one who refused to report sexual abuse cases, to serve as detriment to others.
“There should be a punishment so that they will serve as detriment for guidance and parents who are complacent in such incidences as concerns the minors. Some will collect money and run , change phone numbers They will not come to TAMARSAC for counselling, Ikem-Okoye said. She assured patnership with the SJN
The SJN team at the visit were,
Margret Obiegue, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Justice network, SJN, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists,NAWOJ , Nnenna Alozie, Chairperson,League of Women Voters, and Florence Ugwu, Initiative for Girls and Women Enlightement,IGWE
The group also visited WACOL TAMARSAC, Enugu where they were received by the representatives of the Chief Executive,Professor Joy Ezeilo.
A member, Nnenna Alozie,b informed the WACOL TAMARSAC team about the purpose of their visit She said that they came to seek patnership on tackling the challenges of prosecuting sexual abuse cases and the need for private patnership.
Responding, the Chief Executive of WACOL TAMARSAC, Professor Joy Ezeilo , who was represented by her senior staff, Egodi Igwe, informed SJN that her organisation experienced challenges in prosecuting sexual abuse cases. She said WACOL TAMARSAC resolves conflict , sexual and gender based violence, offers free legal aid.”If it’s civil, we mediate, if it is criminal , we work with the police, Igwe said.
She promised to relay their message to the Chief Executive, Professor Joy Ezeilo ,assuring patnership.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama