The Lagos State Government, through its Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), has handled 10,007 domestic and sexual violence cases in two years.
The Chairman of DSVRT, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, made this known on Wednesday in Ikeja, during a news conference on the commemoration of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month (September).
Onigbanjo, who is also the Attorney-General of Lagos State, said that the domestic, sexual, gender and non-gender based violence were perpetrated against adults and children.
He said that since May 2019, the DSVRT attended to an average of 150 new cases monthly.
According to him, DSVRT provides a coordinated response and creates unprecedented levels of collaboration among professionals working to end sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
The DSVRT chairman said that by virtue of the team’s various initiatives, as well as the zero-tolerance declared in the state, there had been steady increase of formal reportage of cases.
”Under Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, DSVRT has received a total of 10,007 reported cases which include domestic violence and sexual violence perpetrated against adults and children.
”From May 2019 till August 26, 2021, the team has handled 4,150 domestic violence; 177 rape; 255 attempt to commit rape/sexual assault; 246 sexual assault by penetration/threat; and 877 other cases (separation, not taking responsibilities of child(ren), neglect, custody of the child, non-GBV).
”The team also handled 436 child abuse/physical assault, 271 defilement cases; 13 defilement by minor to minor; 454 child labour; abduction neglect/others; and 148 sexual harassment/molestation cases.
”Also, a total of 2,980 children have experienced emotional abuse (that is, these children have been exposed to domestic violence within the home),” he said.
Onigbanjo said that some of these children had been taken through counselling programmes, to ensure they were able to psychologically deal with the events they had witnessed, without it having a permanent and negative impact on them.
He said that the team also witnessed an increase in reporting of cases from other states, mostly from Ogun and Oyo State.
According to him, in the past two years, a total of 526 cases occurred outside Lagos, and such cases are promptly referred to the relevant agencies in their respective states.
He said that the Office of the Public Defender, Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership (LPILP), as well as the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) provided free legal representation to 188 survivors of domestic violence.
The Attorney-General said that the free legal representation ranged from judicial separation, divorce, custody of children, mediation and settlement.
”As regards provision of shelter for survivors, the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, as well as strategic partner Non-Governmental Organisations, including God’s Home for Women, Day Spring, Project Alert and Cee Hope have played key roles in ensuring rescued survivors are evacuated to a safer environment of shelter homes.
”All the survivors of sexual assault received medical attention from comprehensive Primary Health Care Centres, General Hospitals and Sexual Assault Referral Centres like Mirabel Centre, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) as well as Idera Centre.
”In view of DSVRT’s mandate to implement the Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection, all reports of Child Protection Policy contravention in schools were duly responded to.
”From May 2019 till date, the attention of DSVRT, Office of Education Quality Assurance as well as Department of School Social Work of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development has been drawn to incidents of Child Abuse in 37 schools.
”All erring schools were investigated by the Office of Education Quality Assurance in the Ministry of Education. All the sexual violence-related cases are being prosecuted by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, judgment has been secured in two of the cases.
”One school was shut down as a result of infractions, whilst one was requested to relocate, in view of the safeguarding and child protection concerns raised during investigation,” he said.
Onigbanjo said that in 2021, the team had provided services to 10 Persons with Disabilities, who were experiencing one form of gender-based violence or the other.
He also said that in 2021 alone, the team sadly received reports of the death of five victims of domestic violence.
The team chairman said that such reports were escalated to the Police as well as the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, for a coroner’s inquest to be conducted, with a view to ascertaining the cause of death, the outcome of which would greatly strengthen the case of the prosecution.
He said that prosecution was ongoing in three of the cases, while the remaining two suspects were currently on the run.
