“Rapists Should Be Treated Like Murderers” –Yemisi Wada, Founder, Nigerian Child Foundation

Nigerian lawyer, Yemisi Wada had an interview over the weekend with Sun Newspapers about the state of rape and abuse in the society and suggested measures against rapists to serve as deterrent to others

Yemisi Wada is a founder of Haven for the Nigerian Child Foundation, a Non-governmental Organization that works to keep children off the streets. Read excerpts from the interview:

On the type of punishment that should be meted out to rapists she said:

Rapists should be treated like murderers, and that is what I believe. Whereas the men who rape get over whatever they do within a few minutes, it is a life time sentence for their victims. It is an experience victims never forget as they forge ahead in their future life. The punishment thus must be so high for those caught to serve as a deterrent from further harm. I think a life sentence in jail or even castration in the case of those sick ones that rape children. Since their weapon is on them unlike those who kill and maim with guns, where these can be taken away from them, these ones should have their weapons of severe destruction, both physical and mental, also taken away from them.

On if rape should be blamed on careless dressing ..

Careless dressing has never and can never be a reason for rape. There is rape because some people do not have self control.  I love very nice things. I see a mansion in Banana Island, would I be able to move in and live large with my family because I like it? The only reason I cannot is because there are laws against such things. Rapists rape women in Hijabs, little girls in rags and even babies in diapers. How sexually inviting is that?

As a founder of an NGO, we work with street children who are the biggest threat zones. They are vulnerable and that vulnerability is what abusers prey on the most. It is all about having power over another. Many of them are victims of one form of abuse or another. Many have ran away from home and when they get to the city they often look for shelter amongst people who are in conflict with the law as they feel they have done something wrong by running away from home. They are then sexually abused, pimped, both boys and girls, used as child labour.

Read the full story on the SUN