FIDA urges mothers to speak out against incest in society

The International Federation of Women Lawyers in Nigeria (FIDA), a non-governmental organisation on Thursday urged mothers to speak out on the rising cases of incest in the society.

Chairperson of the FIDA in Rivers state, Mrs. Ngozi Odukwe-Ighosevbe, made the call in an interview in Port -Harcourt on the rising cases of incest in the society.

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Odukwe-Ighosevbe described incest as a sexual relationship between parents and their children, siblings or relatives, explaining that no religion supports the act, even as every culture condemns incest morally including the laws of the land.

She indentified some of the causes of incest in the family to include the death of spouses, broken marriages and lack of self -control. Others are lack of parental care, sexual infringement between husbands and wives, ritual purposes among others.

Odukwe-Ighosevbe pointed out that incest can cause physiological trauma to the victims, mistrust of persons, low self esteem and fear of abandonment among others.

“The rising cases of incest have caused increase in drug abuse, addiction to alcohol and suicidal tendency.

“Parents have no excuse for having sexual relationship with their children or children have relationships with their siblings or relatives, they are criminally liable by the provision of law,” she said, revealing that the Rivers state House of Assembly has passed into law the much advocated violence against persons’ prohibition law.

According to her, mothers are liable of the offence because they keep quiet to protect the name or interest of their husbands in order not to lose their marriage.

“For instance, a mother that has three girls who are always molested by her husband sexually because she doesn’t want to be thrown out of her marriage is aiding and abetting the husband; such should be punished.

”We appeal to our mothers to speak out to save our children and better our society; let us live righteous and our nation will be exalted,” she added.