Another 12-yr-old girl raped in Cross River, NAWOJ protest

[Edoman]

Another 12-yr-old girl raped in Cross River, NAWOJ protest


 June 10, 2020

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A 12-year-old girl was on Tuesday raped in Calabar, South local government area of Cross River State
Speaking with DAILY POST shortly after a peaceful protest against rape, the Chairman of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, (NAWOJ) Cross River, Umo Bassi-Edet lamented the action of the rapist.


She said “Yesterday, a twelve-year-old girl was raped at Calabar South. The report was made to a Primary Healthcare Agency and the health worker that was trying to help the girl was molested.

“You see in Big Qua here, a grandpa raped his granddaughter. Some cases are not reported and why we are doing this is because we want to break the culture of silence.


“Some people because of fear of stigmatisation seem to cover it. Maybe, your husband raped your stepdaughter and you don’t want that stigma, so you are protecting your husband to the detriment of the child, because once that rape starts, today you rape the child and tomorrow you continue doing it because no one is talking about it.


The NAWOJ Chairman said that the protest took them around the major streets and terminated at the State House of Assembly where the Speaker was at hand to receive them.


“Why we had to stop at Gov’s office was to ensure that we have the executive arm of govt enforce, try to implement the legislation that are already on the ground that seek to protect women and the girl child from sexual and gender-based violence.


“We can also work together to influence the policies they make. We still have a lot of things that need to be done. Research shows that every hour somebody gets raped.

 And beyond this, the sad aspect of this thing is that 95 percent of rape cases are being carried out by people that are close to us, not strangers at all, people living close to you.


“Your girl child is not even safe with their brothers anymore; the girl child is not safe with their Uncle, not safe with their grandfather, grandparents go to the extent of raping their grandchildren.