Kaduna: Centre receives 150 sexual assault cases, 33 male victims inclusive

The Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Kaduna state has declared that it received 150 cases of sexual assault in 2018, out of which number 33 victims were males.

Data obtained from the centre, located at Gwamna Awan General Hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna on Friday, indicated that 33 of the victims were within the ages of one to six years and 43 within the ages of six and 10 years.

Also, the date showed that 48 victims were within the ages of 11 and 15; 19 were within the ages of 16 and 20; six were within the ages of 21 and 25, and one person was above 26 years.

Furthermore, the data also showed that five of the victims became pregnant while 25 contacted various sexually transmitted diseases.

Manager of the centre, Juliana Joseph satted that 128 cases in the year under review involved sexual violence against persons below 18 years and two against people living with disability.

Juliana identified Rigasa and Tudun Wada in Kaduna metropolis as having the highest number of victims within the year under review. She explained that the centre recorded an upsurge in the reported cases due to the massive awareness campaign being carried out on television, radio and other media channels.

According to her, the awareness campaign was designed to enlighten the public on the range of services being offered at the centre and how to access them.

“We have also carried out advocacy visit to flash point areas and discussed with community and religious leaders and other community members on the menace of sexual violence and how to seek redress.

“We have equally carried out focus group discussion with more than 100 youth and established a Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Club at Queen Amina College, Kaduna.

“Not only that, we are also reaching out to people in places of worship and we have so far reached about 14, 000 women,” the manager added.

She maintained that awareness campaign was key in addressing the menace of sexual violence, saying that “people will better protect their children when they are aware of the dangers and how the perpetrators operate.”

The manager added that so far, 68 perpetrators have been taken to court out of which 10 have been concluded with the culprits serving various jail terms while 42 cases were still pending in court, just as 16 others have been dropped.