Women Connected By Purpose (WCBP), a Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, on Friday, said that understanding various causes of rape cases will provide solutions to checking the recurrence.
The founder of the WCBP, Mrs Mofoluwaso Ilevbare, made this known in Ibadan in an interview.
Ilevbare said that social vices always had underlying causes and it was imperative to unravel them to find lasting solutions.
She noted that until everyone in the society took up the responsibility of ending sexual violence and abuse on children and girls in particular, there would always be a repetition of the incident.
“We, therefore, call on the government to ensure perpetrators are brought to book so it serves as a deterrent to others.
“Also, we equally employ parents to take up the responsibility of looking after their wards and keeping them safe at all times.
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“And when it comes to the incident happening through a family member such should not be swept under the carpet as it would keep the trend unabated,” Ilevbare said.
Another member of the organisation, Mrs Sade Adegoke, said the lockdown, as one of the measures to curtail the Coronavirus pandemic had revealed some of the ills in the society that were hidden before the lockdown began.
“Though, there had been the issue of rape and some other nefarious activities such as domestic violence, looting and robbery before the lockdown, they seem to have skyrocketed and could no longer be ignored.
“Young and able-bodied people, especially men, with low or no moral conviction, that would hitherto have left home early in the morning to return late and tired due to the stress of commuting to work and the energy-sapping work, now have time on their hands.
“Most of them were engaged in cities and metropolis, especially in busy places like Lagos, Ibadan, Port – Harcourt and so on, all of a sudden found themselves idle and ‘jobless, without money but with so much time and energy.
“Though they still live in the same place, they now have the time to notice all, especially innocent and exposed females in their respective neighbourhood.
“Since they have so much energy they could not burn and there is no money to patronize their girlfriends or visit prostitutes, they turn to rape innocent and exposed females.
“We are not excusing or rationalizing these inhuman acts, but there is a need to understand these possible causes to mitigate or proffer solutions that would make it greatly difficult, if not impossible, for them to succeed,” Adegoke explained.
NAN
