Lagos State Records 4,860 Domestic, Sexual Violence Cases In One Year

The Lagos State Government says a total of 4,860 cases of domestic violence, rape, sexual assaults, and others were reported in the state in one year.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, said the cases were recorded between September 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022.

Onigbanjo made this known on Wednesday during a press briefing to commemorate September as Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness month in Alausa, Ikeja.

Onigbanjo said the figure included 2,029 cases of domestic violence and 488 cases of non-gender-based violence within the period.

He said, “From September 1, 2021, to July 31, 2022, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency handled 4,860 cases which are into two categories: adults and children. The breakdown of the cases is as follows: domestic violence -2,029; rape -65; sexual assault -40; attempts to commit rape -10; sexual assault by penetration -5; threat to life -73; and 488 others (separation, not taking responsibilities of the child(ren), neglect, custody of the child, non-gender based violence, etc.)”

The commissioner further stated that about 868 children and nine persons living with physical disabilities affected have been helped by the DSVA.

“A total of 1,578 children have experienced emotional abuse (i.e. these children have been exposed to domestic violence within the home). 55% of these children have been taken through counselling programmes to ensure they are able to psychologically deal with the events they have witnessed without them having a permanent and negative impact on them.

“In the period under review, the agency provided services to nine persons with disabilities who were experiencing one form of gender-based violence or the other. The youngest child that experienced sexual violence in the year under review was eight months, whilst the oldest client that experienced domestic violence was a 75-year-old woman and 89-year-old man,” he added.