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Needed: Specialised agencies for rape cases

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Rape might not end soon in Africa, nay Nigeria. But to curb it to the barest and ensure victims get justice, there have been calls for a different approach to tackling the menace. OYEBOLA OWOLABI reports.

What assurance does the dead have of getting justice when even the living are left to lick their wounds?

Uwavera Omozuwa, 22, a student of the University of Benin, Edo State; Barakat Bello,18, a student of the Department of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT), Federal College of Animal Health and Production in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and Azeezat Shomuyiwa ,29, an expectant mother of the University of Ibadan (UI), were all raped and killed between March and June.

The list is endless and the heartache unending. Rape, it appears, has become a problem humanity has to contend with, as it has defied solutions.

To change the narrative, however, there have been calls for the establishment of specialised agencies and departments, fully empowered, to handle rape cases. Non-governmental organisations, lawyers, and concerned citizens believe investigating rape cases require a high level of emotional intelligence to make the victim trust the process and also allow for non-biased investigation.

“This can only be gotten from qualified personnel who work with specialised agencies or departments within our security outfits, not just anybody, and definitely not our policemen who know nothing about emotional intelligence,” says Ladipo Titiloye, a writer and blogger, who believes victims can get justice despite the patriarchal societal set up which emboldens the act and perpetrators.

Titiloye, a father of two, also condemned the way rape cases are handled on the social media. He described it as the wrong approach to handling serious issues such as rape and domestic violence

At a roundtable to discuss alternatives to the narrative, Titiloye and his 2011 alumni class of the Performing Arts Department, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, lamented that cultural narratives which portray women as objects to be owned by men, and thus subservient to men’s every desire, need to be redressed.

Seun Oluyede, an entrepreneur and mother of one, lamented that most rape cases in Nigeria do not get heard in the court of law because of various reasons, which may include family pressure (where a relative is involved), but most times due to the inefficiency of security agents handling the case ‘who ask the most inappropriate questions which tend to invalidate the victim’s claim.’

She said: “With the way our security agencies handle situations, I really don’t see any positive outcome for a rape case in Nigeria. It becomes more devastating when the victim is not highly connected or a celebrity.

“Barakat’s uncle said the police were invited to the scene, took some pictures and took the body away. They later said the case isn’t in their case file. Her parents are illiterates who are probably not interested in or capable of handling police wahala. But isn’t the police responsible at all?

“That is why I am happy that social media is providing a platform for people to speak out. It has become the only outlet for ladies to express themselves. That is the first way to heal. I believe it will get better with time.”

Oluyede called for proper handling of rape cases where “investigations are tailored towards getting the rapist than proving the accused innocent.”

Titiloye, however, said the social media has no help whatsoever to offer victims. According to him, it is important to let men and women know the right thing to do when they find themselves in such situation.

He said: “The solution to any problem is not online. If it was, Muhammadu Buhari will not be president and Donald Trump will still be screaming on ‘The Apprentice’. Education really matters and it should start from the primary school. It is knowledge about laws and crimes that make people know what to do or not do.

“In all these temporary reactions online, I am yet to see anyone educate us on what to do in the case of rape. It is always the news of who was and how it happened that is rife. The narrative playing out online is why the social media is so wrong for serious issues. If there is a problem, you find a solution to it. Education, technology, self-defence and counselling will definitely help.

“However, in investigating rape cases, sentiment must be put aside. It is easy for us to be sentimental about the issue because it borders on the high side of emotional pain, but justice is not based on words of mouth – evidence, witnesses and corroboration matter. I know it is not easy and it does not mean rape cases will become easier to prosecute, but it is a good way to start seeking justice.

“Also, scrutiny is not about degrading the victim; it is just the appropriate way to seek justice. But beyond it all, I believe that people need to be educated on what to do when raped. It goes a long way in easing the tortuous journey to justice. Believe me; I know how hard it is.”

Tayo Akinwoleola, a sales representative and father of two, also corroborated Titiloye’s stand on the need for education.

He said: “We need more education on how to handle rape cases. It’s a pity our law enforcement agents are not empowered to conduct proper investigations. So, most rape cases die natural deaths. These officers even contribute to ‘victim-shaming’ with their unprofessional questions. Perhaps, our agencies need specialised departments to treat rape cases, including domestic violence which policemen always describe as ‘family affair.’

“These specialised departments should be manned by people who are emotionally intelligent, people who will empathise with the victim and still be objective in handling the case. What we need is empathy towards victims and then we can ask the right questions. But it is a shame our law enforcement agents are not trained for such.

“We need experts trained in such fields so that investigations can make more meaning and lead to the arrest of culprits, and not just muddling up the process like it happens on social media.”

An economic and political strategist Charles Omole (@DrCOmole) also corroborated Titiloye and his colleagues’ views. He warned that “justice is not always about the truth; it is about what can be proven.

“Coming on social media is okay if all you want is public opinion verdict. But if you want justice, you need to first meticulously and quietly gather useable evidence. Work behind the scene first,” he said.

For him, “the scourge of sexual crime will not be legally dealt with if every case becomes a social media circus.

“There is need for proper detailed evidence gathering that gives the authorities no choice but to prosecute. Criminals hide easily behind false victimhood if it’s all a social media show. We should not reduce it to social media exchange of accusations because rape is a very serious matter,” he added.

In a series of tweets, Omole highlighted what the government can do to deal with rape and ensure justice for victims. He reiterated the importance of education, leadership and effective prosecution.

He said: “A specialist group of sex crime officers should be trained by the police in the latest sensitive case management techniques of sexual offences. Each state should have this team and they should be visible. Victims should no longer just go to any police station but only to this team.

“All sexual crimes prosecution should automatically be done as accelerated hearings in the courts with time limit imposed by statutes or via judicial allocation guidelines. These cases must be heard and concluded swiftly.

“A national sex offenders’ register must be produced that will be accessible to key agencies and employers to interrogate as part of vetting process for certain jobs that involve contact with children or vulnerable adults. Though rape is mostly prosecuted by states, the rules should be changed so that the Federal Government can prosecute if states fail to do so in the face of clear evidence of criminality.

“Mass education and orientation campaign should be launched to make sexual crime unacceptable as a culture in all communities. All opinion leaders should speak against it. Children should be taught in schools how to respect opposite gender. We also need a national debate on anonymity of rape accusers since social media will make it difficult to keep the anonymity of accusers.

“Rape is a difficult crime to prosecute, especially when in most cases there is no third party corroboration. So, evidence is important. We need to create the right environment for victims to come forward in time as decades of old accusations are almost impossible to prosecute.”

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