Ignore rape cases, bag two years imprisonment – Lagos govt

It has become a criminal offence for any worker in the employment of the Lagos State government, who has a direct dealing with children, not to report any case of rape to the appropriate authorities.

The coordinator of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team created by the Lagos State government, Titilola Adeniyi-Vivour, said any of such mandated reporters who failed in this duty, risked being jailed for two years.

Vivour-Adeniyi made this disclosure on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by DSVRT to The Punch Place, the head office of The Punch Newspapers on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

According to her, those captured in the mandated reporters group include school teachers, nurses, social workers among others. she however said there was an ongoing effort by DSVRT to see that this executive order made in 2014 was passed into law so that more people could be captured under it.

The group recognised and lauded the positive impacts that The Punch Newspapers’ reporting on cases of rape and domestic violence, especially on pages 4 and 5 of the daily Punch, was having on the campaign against rape.

It, however, called on the newspapers to do more by creating a data base of rape cases which would serve as a reference point for people in authority to act upon.

It also called for a reportage with emphasis put on the support available to the victims of rape and in which attention is focused on the perpetrator of the crime rather than the victim.

Vivour-Adeniyi  said, “We are not unmindful of the impact that the media has, we know that there is a multiplier effect that is created with a viable media space and that is why we will appreciate better partnership with The Punch Newspapers.

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“We want a situation where the cases are not just reported but a situation where the support system like what the victims can do, where they can get help, to be included in the reports.

“You are already doing something that is helpful. It will also be best if the attention can be fixated on the perpetrator rather than the victim.”

 The group identified negative cultural practices, impunity and low level of reportage as some of the factors responsible for increase in the cases of rape across the country.