THE Lagos State Government has documented a disturbing sharp increase in domestic violence and has commissioned a scientific research to seek an explanation. Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, announced at a press conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, that 4,035 cases of rape, child abuse, sexual abuse, assault, defilement and other kinds of domestic crimes were handled in the Office of the Public Defender in the last one year.
To reverse the trend, the Attorney- General, who was accompanied by the Coordinator of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, and the co-founder of the Mirabel Centre, Mrs. Itoro Eze Anaba, explained that the state government has drawn up legislation to protect children’s rights. He admitted that there has been an explosion in the number of cases handled in the state. There were 437 cases of child custody and maintenance in 2014, which jumped to 1,078 in 2015. About 291 persons sought alternative dispute resolution of marital disputes in 2014, with the figure rising to 746 a year later. Although the number of couples seeking divorce has dropped, more women opted out of child custody and maintenance. On healthcare, the Mirabel Centre provided services to 750 cases involving rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, defilement and battery.
We share the Attorney-General’s concern and support the legislation being proposed. We urge him to ensure that the fact-finding enquiry into the causes of domestic violence in the state is thorough. Domestic disputes are as old as man, so is sexual misbehavior and domestic violence. Because they were usually few, we have tended not to be alarmed by them. But, the numbers as announced by the Lagos State AG reveal that something is wrong. A look into our newspapers shows scandalous incidents. As disgraceful and abhorrent as they are, child rape cases are surging in several states in Nigeria. The raping of women was once considered a crime you only read about in the foreign media. Now, hardly a week passes without an incident or more. The crime has spread because the justice system seems not to prosecute it with any degree of diligence. The Police and the justice ministries should wake up to this rising scourge. Rape is a very serious crime. So is domestic violence. Sensational murder of spouses has outraged Nigerians in recent months and we hope this is not a new trend pointing to an increasingly violent society.
While we hope that research findings might be able to uncover reasons for the upsurge, we feel reassured by the Lagos AG that offenders would be promptly prosecuted. Violence, domestic or otherwise, has been outlawed in all civilised societies. Even the spanking of children is no more unequivocally approved. Indeed, there is a dispute as to its effectiveness in behavior modification of children. Besides, the lines between child abuse and child correction are blurring and parents must exercise utmost discretion in the application of violence as a corrective sanction.
As a general principle, it bears repeating that no Nigerian has any right to unleash violence on any other Nigerian. Policemen do not have any right to slap anyone under any circumstances, nor are soldiers permitted to whip even the most errant driver on the road. We have to begin a general reduction of violence at every level.
We urge Nigerians to embrace communication as the ultimate means to reduce misunderstanding in the home. Counselors, the clergy, lawyers, elders who have had to intervene in disputes in the home invariably find insufficient communication as almost always behind much of the misunderstanding. Women tend to be stronger in verbal communication and should know how to moderate that strength, including knowing when to stop and listen. Men tend to be stronger physically and should know how to communicate patiently and lovingly, without resorting to brute force. There must be mutual respect and mutual understanding in homes. With sufficient communication and professional counseling where necessary, it is possible to reduce domestic violence which has become a veritable threat to life in many parts of the country.