Pregnant Victim of Rape To Undergo Circumcision, Spiritual Cleansing – Says husband’s family
A pregnant victim of rape in Benin City identified as Akomu Juliet Osawe has reportedly absconded months after a rape incident of January 10th 2023 in her apartment led to her unexpected pregnancy in February 2023.
The tragic incident leading to the unexpected pregnancy struck at .1 Orthobor Street, Guobadia off country Home Road in Benin City, on January 10th 2023 when armed robbers at about 1.30am stormed the residence of the family of Akomu Juliet Osawe where she was molested and raped.
Akomu Juliet Osawe reportedly suffered from mental instability arising from post-traumatic stress disorder after she discovered she was pregnant in February 2023, as her husband’s relatives and neighbors who were obviously aware of the incident of January 10th 2023 repeatedly taunted and ridiculed her saying she was pregnant for armed robbers.
On March 20th, 2023 Akomu was summoned for a family meeting, it was gathered that Akomu Juliet Osawe was under intense pressure by elders of her husband’s family to perform some spiritual cleansing and circumcision as a precondition to appease the ancestors of the land against the sacrilege if she wants to remain in the marriage as abortion was forbidden in the family.
Confronted with the more traumatic and painful experience of circumcision in adulthood while her mental health was on the gradual but steady decline, Akomu Juliet Osawe reportedly fled from her matrimonial home with her son, unknown to her husband, while the elders eagerly awaited her response in view of complying with the demands of the ancestors before she is fully reintegrated into the family, it was gathered.
According to the customs and tradition in her husband’s family, married women are forbidden to undergo abortion as an option when cases of unwanted pregnancy arise unexpectedly as certain cultural practice involving ancestral spiritual cleansing followed by female circumcision is mandatory to cleanse the land and appease the ancestors
Pa Joseph Egbon who spoke on behalf of the elders said that the mental instability and trauma currently afflicting Akomu Juliet Osawe as a result of the of the unfortunate ordeal of the incident of January 10th 2023 was the beginning of many of the ancestral curses and spiritual afflictions that would ultimately end her life unless she willingly presents and subjects herself to the ancestral spiritual cleansing and circumcision as prescribed by the custom and tradition of the family.
