Anambra State has recorded more cases of fathers raping their daughters during the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus disease.
The Director of Child Welfare Services in the state Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Children and Social Welfare, Nkechi Anazodo, revealed this during the flag off of integrated child protection community 10 days sensitization campaign held in Anambra.
The Director stated that there were only 32 cases of rape in her ministry before the lockdown was put in place.
However, over 80 rape cases have now been recorded in various parts of Anambra State since the imposed COVID-19 lockdown between April and May.
According to her, the upsurge in rape cases necessitated the need for the 10-day state-wide campaign in the 21 local government areas of the state, supported by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Anazodo added that;
Sexual violence has become the order of the day, especially during this period of lockdown. The most worrisome is that some fathers raped their daughters more during the lockdown. In most cases, fathers who rape their daughters threaten to kill them if they report.
The problem, therefore, is that many people do not report these cases because they feel that the victim might be stigmatised. That is why we are going round the 21 local government areas of the state to create awareness on this problem.
She said the state government has mapped out a sexual assault centre at the Engwu-Ukwu General Hospital purposely for treating rape victims.
The Director explained that;
Once any rape victim is brought to the centre, tests would be conducted on her because of the possibility that the child might have been infested with sexually transmitted diseases, STD.
It is advisable that the victim should be taken to this referral hospital within two hours of the rape for effective result.
She called on parents, the clergy, Presidents General of Town Unions, youth organizations, and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to assist in educating the people on the best way to discourage rape.
Other organizations taking part in the campaign programme are the presidents of the 181 town unions in the state, churches, traditional institutions, women groups, National Population Commission, (NPC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
