Following the rising cases of rape and child abuse in the country, the Speaker Taraba State House of Assembly Joseph Kunini has vowed to make strict legislation to ensure that perpetrators are sufficiently dealt with and victims kept from stigmatization.
The Speaker who spoke in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay correspondent in Jalingo said that the rate at which instances of rape, domestic violence, and child abuse were on the rise had become worrisome and called for action from all and sundry to tackle the menace.
Kunini said that despite the domestication of the Child Right Act in the state and the fact that several other states were yet to domestic the act, the latest developments call for more actions especially in terms of strict legislations.
“I must say that the rising cases of rape and child right abuse in the country are most worrisome. This is such a barbaric act that should be condemned from all fronts because the psychological implications are far-reaching and terribly devastating on the victims.
” For the perpetrators, it’s just a moment of pleasure, if it can be termed pleasure, but for the victim, it is a lifetime of traumatic experience and memory. That is why I am already considering strict legislation that will ensure that those who chose to be this demonic are commensurately dealt with.
“Another angle that we have ignored over time and which I am considering seriously is the protection of victims. Most of their cases go unreported and unheard because the victims are afraid of talking for fear of stigmatization. We must also put in place legislation that will protect the integrity of victims and give them the moral courage to always owe up and report such cases” Kunini said.
