Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State Government has enacted laws that would make psychiatric tests on rape culprits and paedophiles compulsory.
Their names and photographs would be published on the website of the state’s Ministry of Justice.
Names of such offenders, according to the government, would also be announced on the state-owned radio and television stations, while the monarch of the town of any offender, would be asked to get information about his personality.
Ekiti Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda, disclosed this to newsmen, yesterday, and expressed concern that the menace kept increasing in the state; despite the high number of convictions recorded.
He said Governor Kayode Fayemi is uncomfortable with the increasing cases of sexual violence and that there was need for proactive action; to deal decisively with the situation. Fapohunda said the new measures put in place would support the aggressive prosecution and exclusion of offenders from the Governor’s Prerogative of Mercy that were already in place.
“The additional measures put in place include posting the photographs of convicted offenders in prominent public spaces in their communities and their local government headquarters; issuing an advisory to the traditional rulers of the offender’s communities on the status of the offender and uploading the sex offender’s photograph on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
“We will also show photographs of sex offenders on Ekiti State Broadcasting Service; announcing their names on radio and television.
“There would be compulsory psychiatric test for all persons of whom the Director of Public Prosecution has issued a case to answer legal advice for the offence of child defilement. This also includes persons standing trials,” he said.
The commissioner clarified that the government would take actions that will deprive offenders of their rights to dignity. Fapohunda said the state government is aware that conviction alone will not solve the problem, and has promised that public education and awareness would be stepped up; to sensitise the populace.