The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it handled a total of 4,035 cases ranging from rape, child abuse, sexual assault, sexual abuse, defilement, divorce, matrimonial issues and child’s custody and maintenance in the last one year, just as it vowed to prosecute perpetrators of domestic violence no matter how highly placed in the society.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, who disclosed this during a press briefing held 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, said government, through the agency, equally handled a total of 192 cases.
Out of the 192, Kazeem said the government handled 89 domestic violence cases, 62 defilement cases, 18 rape cases, six attempted rape, 10 child neglect and seven child abuse cases, while 92 cases are presently being heard in court.
Kazeem said that the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration 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.
“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,” he said.
He assured that the State Government would continue to build on its recent efforts and step up its campaign efforts to put the issue of domestic violence on the front burner.
To this end, he said the DSVRT will on Friday, June 3, hold a free clinic for victims of domestic violence, rape at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat.
