The Senate on Wednesday advocated stiffer punishment for perpetrators of sexual assault as the Sexual Offence Bill, sponsored by Senator Chris Anyanwu, passed the second reading.
Anyanwu, in her lead debate, said her bill spoke volume of the high rate of immorality in the society and demanded the creation of a unit within the Nigerian Police Force where trained professionals would ensure the preservation of the rights of humanity.
She urged the Senate to support the passage of the law to protect women.
Anyanwu noted that there were punishments stipulated in the penal code of states in the federation but said the deficiency in extant laws was being corrected in her bill including the protection of witnesses and stigmatisation of victims.
Punch News reports that she said the establishment of a section of the police force, manned by well trained investigators, who would handle the matters with passion, would reduce rape incidences to the minimum.
She said, “The children and young people of this country, both male and female today face a growing danger as they are being routinely targeted by sexual predators and pedophiles that take advantage of their vulnerability and innocence, etching on their psyche, scars that last a lifetime.
“What is most disturbing is that a growing number of these crimes are happening in schools and religious environments.”
Anyanwu lamented that some cases of sexual abuses like gang rape, sexual tourism, sexual harassment and non disclosure of conviction of sexual offences among others, being committed in Nigeria today, were not provided for in the country’s jurisprudence.
She said all the offences had been criminalised with adequate punishment in the bill while it also provided for compulsory documentation, supervision of sexual offenders and the medical treatment for victims as obtainable in other parts of the world.
Senator Abdul Ningi said the bill had been able to adequately protect the rights of women and punishment for sex offenders, which must be commensurate with the offence.
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