Rape Victims Recount Horrible Experience To Lawmakers

Rape victims on Thursday, October 23, stormed the National Assembly to sensitize members of the Senate and House of Representatives on the need to save them from further assault by passing the bill against sexual offences.

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The Nigerian Senate had earlier approved new sanctions for a range of offences including life imprisonment for rapist.

The ladies took part in the mock tribunal/court on sexual and gender based violence, organised by the National Assembly Women Affairs Committee and the Legislative Advocacy Coalition for Violence in Nigeria, Punch reports.

As the victims, mostly young ladies shared their agonizing experiences in the hands of rapists, female federal lawmakers fought back tears.

The victims who spoke with their faces covered described how they were sexually assaulted by older men and their efforts to sue their offenders had been frustrated due to weak laws against such a crime.

They therefore appealed to the female lawmakers to save other ladies from such agonizing experience.

According to the Founding Director, Women Aid Collective, Dr. Joy Ezeilo, the mock tribunal court at the National Assembly was staged to spotlight cases of gender-based violence in Nigeria.

Speaking at the occasion, Senators Chris Anyanwu and Oluremi Tinubu described the act as a wicked crime against womenfolk.

They therefore vowed to do everything within their powers to ensure that relevant bills that sought to protect women and children against violence were passed before the end of the current legislative year.