Across Africa, sexual violence against women is growing alarmingly high. In South Africa, for instance, about 144 women report rape to police every day. This figure does not take into account the unreported cases which are even higher. What is even more disturbing, in the case of South Africa, is that most rape cases are against children. Latest figures from South Africa's Medical Research Council (MRC) indicate that 40% of all victims who reported rape to the police were less than 18 years of age and 15% under 12.
In Kenya, rape statistics indicate that some 300 women are raped every week, although these figures too are highly likely to be inaccurate as a result of under reporting of the crime. The situation in Nigeria is similar.
The response of authorities to cases of rape does not give hope that they adequately understand the dehumanizing impact of the crime. There is a care-free attitude to rape. In many cases, those whose duty it should be to protect victims and seek justice for them end up abandoning the victims or even betraying their trust.
The case in which the Kenyan police bizarrely punished rapists by asking them to cut grass before releasing them illuminates the tragedy of the state failing to protect victims and give them justice.
It is commendable that human rights activists in Kenya yesterday spoke loudly against this bizarre action of the police in a well-attended march protest.
Perhaps it is time to Nigerian civil society to take a cue from their Kenyan counterparts and make demands for better handling of rape cases. This is important especially after the strange ruling in the rape case against a monarch in Osun State.
A few weeks ago, a High Court in Osun State discharged and acquitted a monarch, the Alowa of Ilowa Ijesa, Oba Adebukola Alli, of rape charges because the victim, who was a youth corps member serving in his domain at the time of the incident, failed to present a medical report.
"The plaintiff failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant raped her. A case of rape can be established with exhibits including medical report which indicates forceful penetration but the prosecutor failed to tender all these," the trial judge, Justice Oyejide Falola, ruled.
While one cannot all together fault the Judge, one wonders what the public prosecutor in the case did to prepare the victim for court. How was it so difficult to get a medical report? And why did the Judge not order for a medical examination of the victim which is well within his powers to do?
Instead of getting justice for the victim, the judge went on to chastise the monarch "for stooping low to the extent of having sexual intercourse with a lady serving in his domain."
Finally, it is imperative to rehash that most rape cases are perpetrated by individuals one would ordinarily not suspect. Nigerians are still trying to come to terms with news reports of a 14-year-old boy who repeatedly raped a 9-year-old student of his father's primary school to death.
Only days ago, the police in Ogun State arrested an officer of the Ogun State Vigilance Service, Liasu Oyedele, over the alleged rape of a student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta.
These cases are sad indications of how values have degenerated in our societies. It is important that the civil society in Nigeria leads the fight against rape. An important step in the fight is to ensure that authorities understand the importance of protecting victims and doing everything to see that perpetrators face the full wrath of the law.
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