Juliet Jacob Ochenje
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 2,588 children were sexually and emotionally abused through various acts of domestic and sexual violence recorded in the state between August 2022 and July 2023.
This is just as it added that 90% of victims of sexual and domestic abuse in the state were women.
TThese figures were disclosed by the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of the State, Titilayo Shitta-Bey, at a media briefing to flag off activities to mark the 2023 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, themed ‘Not in my Lagos’.
According to Shitta-Bey, “From August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023, the agency handled 5624 cases which are into two categories, adults and children.
“For children, 45 per cent of survivors were boys while 55 per cent were girls.
“The youngest child that experienced sexual violence was an 18-month-old baby, while the oldest client that experienced domestic violence was a 79-year-old woman.”
Represented by the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, at the briefing, the Commissioner said that 40 per cent of the affected children have been provided with psycho – social counselling to help them deal with the trauma associated with the acts.
She added that during the period under review, the agency provided services to 7 persons with disabilities who were experiencing one form of gender-based violence or the other.
