The Federal Government says it is imperative to train investigators and prosecutors who handle Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases.
This was disclosed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the `First Moot Court Trial’, organized by the Ministry, FCT High Court in collaboration with the EU through the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) Programme in Abuja on Monday 29th November, 2021.
Malami, was represented by Mr. Abdulrahim Shuaibu, Director in the Public Prosecution Department, also stressed the need for the establishment of more Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) in the country.
“The absence of SARC is akin to re-traumatizing the survivors of SGBV, this is at the very core of my ministerial pursuit and I am seriously working on an Access to Justice based SARC which will evolve in due course,” he said.
According to him, in order to have access to justice based SARC which will include improved health care services that would address the medical, physical, mental and psychosocial consequences of SGBV to Survivors, “There is also a need to train our Judges on the handling of SGBV cases especially in relation to victim and witness protection and the management of evidences gathered due to the sensitive nature of these cases”.
Chairperson of SARCs, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, said that since its establishment in 2013, SARC has continued to provide free immediate emergency medical treatment, counselling and follow up support to survivors of rape and sexual assault.
“In just eight years, the SARC Network has grown from a single SARC in Lagos to 32 SARCS across 19 states in Nigeria assisting over 22,000 survivors of sexual assault combined”.
Ezeilo noted that the inauguration of the President of an Inter-Ministerial Management Committee on Eradication of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is a demonstration of the government’s renewed commitment to comprehensively address SGBV and protect the victims.
Source: NAN
