Justice For Victims of Rape by Bukola Otuyemi

Majority of Nigerians staunchly believe that rape victims never get justice and we at Stand To End Rape Initiative (S.T.E.R) always do our best to convince them otherwise. One can hardly fault them completely given some past records, but the fact remains that determination in seeking justice with the precise evidences are what makes a success out of such cases. The path to seeking justice for rape victims are never smooth nor easy to tow, but tow them we must if we want to put an end to these heinous crimes against humanity.

When I read this article (Read HERE) in the news, I was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. A 45-year-old man had raped a 10-year-old boy horrifically, in Jigawa State. Firstly, I was sad at the plight of the young victim and concerned about him getting the right treatment and counselling to overcome the trauma. I'm not quite sure how accessible and efficient rape counselling centres are up North.Then, I was glad about the way the public handed the culprit over to the police rather than commit murder under the guise of jungle justice in a bid to take justice by force. So many people have lost complete faith in our legal system, thus the uprise of jungle justice in recent times.

Finally, I was elated that the 10-year-old male victim got justice. His rapist confessed to the crime and was convicted accordingly. He got 12 years in prison for raping the minor and also to serve as a deterrent to others.

We need more cases like this for people to renew their beliefs in our legal system, but this can majorly be achieved when families of victims step forward and seek professional help for the victims and follow the cases through in the courts. I have seen instances where the families of the victims dropped charges or did not even press any charges against the culprits because they were convinced they would not get justice at all. In doing this, they let the beastly rapists roam free and thus enable them to attack others. Speaking out on rape issues and following the cases through are sure ways of curbing this societal menace.

S.T.E.R Initiative is an N.G.O readily available to assist and offer full support to rape victims and their families. We are partnering with various NGOs across Nigeria to ensure we help as many people who need our help. We also have a wide range of trained medical doctors, psychologists and lawyers that can help get you the justice you yearn for and more than that, help you get to a better state psychologically. All you need to do is reach out, we'll take it from there!

Please contact us via Standtoendrape@gmail.com, 08189299887 or on twitter @StandtoEndRape. We would love to help you.