The Lagos State Government has disclosed that it handled 4, 035 cases ranging from rape, child abuse, sexual abuse, defilement, divorce, matrimonial issues and child’s custody and maintenance, in the last one year.
This was disclosed by the Attorney General and the State’s Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, at media briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa on the activities of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) in the last one year on Tuesday.
The Lagos State Attorney General also promised not to shy away from prosecuting perpetrators of domestic violence crime no matter who is involved.
In his word, “Let me sound a note of warning here that no matter how highly placed you are in the society, if you commit any domestic violence crime, Lagos State will go after you and prosecute you in court.”
The state government through the agency, he stated also handled a total of 192 cases.
Kazeem listed the cases handled by the state government to include 89 domestic violence cases, 62 defilement case, 18 rape cases, 6 attempted rape, 10 child neglect and 7 child abuse cases.
The commissioner that 92 cases are presently in court
The Commissioner stated the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode led administration had zero tolerance for issues concerning domestic violence and child abuse and that it would not relent until the scourge is reduced to the barest minimum.
Kazeem revealed that government agencies in the state, DSVRT, Office of Public Defender (OPD) and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), among others, have been mandated to ensure that the perpetrators of these act are punished, they should also ensure that victims of domestic violence are given succour inform of rehabilitation.
According to him, “As regards provision of shelter for victims, the Ministries of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and Youth and Social Development as well as strategic partners NGOs have played key roles in ensuring that victims were evacuated to a safer environment of shelter homes. All the victims of sexual assault received medical attention from Mirabel Centre and State Hospitals, and so far, 50 of such cases were charged to court.”
The Commissioner stated that the aim of the media briefing apart from telling the world the efforts the state government has made in the last one year, was also an avenue to send a strong message across that the government would not rest on its oars until the scourge was completely wiped out.
