AN ARTICLE ON “RAPE”

QUESTION 4

AN ARTICLE ON “RAPE” 

By Ogbaji Martina Omahi (12/MAC/091)

       According to the oxford dictionary. Rape is an act of forcing somebody to have sex when they do not want to. It is an act of having sexual intercourse with  some one against his/her will.

        In Nigeria, rape is unlawful, when committed on a person below sixteen (16) years, it is called defilement and when it is committed on a person above sixteen (16) years, it is called “Rape” it is a serious offence in Nigeria. The penalty for defilement and rape in Nigeria is life imprisonment, and the personality for attempting to rape is fourteen (14) years imprisonment.

        “Rape” is totally degrading, distasteful and condemnable act, it has become so rampant in Nigeria. Research shows that in   the year 2003, among violent crimes committed against the female sex, 38% was rape committed by the victim’s current, former spouse, or boy friend (Blessing E.O 2011).

        Some causes of rape  have been said to include indecent dressing, street hawking, idleness etc.  in recent years, the rate at which the girl child dresses and exposes her body parts is becoming alarming and disheartening. A young alarming and disheartening. A young lady, and in source cases a mature woman dress leaving some sensitive park at their bodies to be exposed and this form of dressing is common among the University and secondary School girls. This dressing style is being does not know that every out fit has a message they convey from their dressing style. Street hawking is another major cause of rape in Nigeria. A girl child that goes about hawking on the street faces more danger and possibility of being raped by those who claim to patronize her business. Parents that must send their female children to hawk things must monitor insist that the girls should report any form of advances to them.

        Rape has caused death, disease unwanted pregnancies and emotional trauma to the victims. The only way to prevent rape occurrence in Nigeria starts from the family, as it is the smallest and immediate unit of every society where the child needs to be educated at the earliest opportunity. The school is another place, where the girls learns about rape, as the female teaches educate the pupils/students on the effects of rape in the society. The church is another place where the teaching is being carried out, as they instill discipline and the fear of God in accordance with the doctrine of God’s word into the minds of its members.

 

Conclusion

Rape is a serious offence in Nigeria, A girl child should be educated on the effects of rape. The offenders (Rapist) are entitled to life imprisonment as a sentence for their wicked act.

 

Reference

Blessing, E.O.  (2011). Campaign Against Rape and Indecent Assault of the Girl Child.