Ebonyi state
Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Okorie Christopher
Onyekachi who commended the state's police command for not shielding the
policeman, said they are working hard to ensure that the former security
operative who is in his 30s is prosecuted.
Onyekachi said;
“One police officer
has been sacked after undergoing an orderly room trial and we are also moving
for his court trial but he has gone through police orderly room trial; police
internal disciplinary action which led to his dismissal. We are now moving for
his trial in the court. He was accused of defiling a minor, the child is about
14 years while the policeman is in his early 30s.
“We are grateful to
the state commissioner of police who has been very helpful to us. He
understands what humanity is all about. Once a petition from the National Human
Rights Commission is sent to him, the following morning, we will get a call
that it has been assigned.
"He usually
tells us to deal with him directly, that he doesn’t want the image of the
police to be dented. So, he has helped us in so many ways. In 2019, we handled
like 45 cases and 12 cases this year.
"Four of the
2019 cases had to do with Gender-Based Sexual Violence and these are all
minors. Pitiably, a man molested a three-year- old girl. The issue of violating
minors is on the increase but under-reported.
"The only time
the cases are reported is when there is an underlying conflict among the
families involved. “Domestic violence is on the increase even though
under-reported. Under-reporting is the problem we are having on this issue of
domestic violence.
"If you see the
culture of Igbo land; the culture changes because of the influence of external
cultures too. What happens here is that most families are not literate, our
culture has not been given the necessary push or change it deserves to really
give us the good result that we need. In that aspect, there is a low percentage
of reporting cases of violence because of the culture; it is actually
considered normal for a woman to be beaten by her husband.
"When it is so,
a woman is indoctrinated to believe it that way. Women should know that they
are human beings and being a human being, nobody has a right to infringe upon
your own rights because the person’s rights start where your own start.
Marriage does not reduce your personal rights. So, the person you are marrying
should respect your rights.”
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