Lagos records 4,035 rape, child abuse cases in one year

At least, 4,035 rape and child abuse cases were handled by Lagos State government in the last one year. According to the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, the state’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, prosecuted people who were suspected to have been involved in rape, child abuse, sexual assault, sexual abuse, defilement, divorce, matrimonial issues and child custody and maintenance.


The commissioner, who briefed journalists yesterday at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa on the activities of DSVRT in the last one year, assured Lagosians that the government would not shy away from prosecuting perpetrators of domestic violence, no matter how highly placed in the society.

Reeling out the statistics, he said the government handled 89 domestic violence cases, 62 defilement cases, 18 rape and 6 attempted rape cases, 10 child neglect and 7 child abuse cases, while 92 cases are being heard in court. Kazeem added that the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led state government has zero tolerance for issues relating to domestic violence and child abuse, and would not relent until the scourge is reduced to the barest minimum.

He said agencies of government, including DSVRT, Office of Public Defender, OPD, and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, among others, have been mandated to ensure that while perpetrators of the act are brought to justice, victims of domestic violence are given succour towards their rehabilitation. He said the essence of the press briefing, aside giving account of efforts of the state government in the last one year, was also to send a strong message across that the government would not relent until the scourge of domestic violence was completely stamped out.

He assured that Lagos government would build on its recent efforts and step up campaign to put the issue of domestic violence on the front burner.