Sexual Assault Survivor Cries Out After Suspect Gets Bail: "Poverty Has Made My Voice Silent"
- A young woman in Adamawa endured ràpè but faces stigma and financial barriers to justice
- The survivor’s community urged dialogue, yet she insists on legal action against the perpetrator
- An advocate stressed urgent legal support and counselling for survivors to overcome trauma and pursue justice
Ràpè survivors in Adamawa state are facing significant stigmatisation and fear of discrimination due to factors such as poverty, which has led many to abandon their pursuit of justice.
A young lady, as reported earlier by Legit.ng, was ràpèd a few months ago in Demsa Local Government Area, by a young man from Murgarang Community named Litani.
Source: Original
Legit.ng understands that the alleged perpetrator was arrested for a few days and was later given bail by the police.
The young lady and her family are, however, pressing forward in their demand for justice, but because they lack financial resources, they were asked to abandon the case, a demand the victim refuses to accept.
Speaking to Legit.ng, the survivor narrated:
"After the police investigation and arrest of the guy, they called me to the police station and asked me what happened, when I narrated everything, the police asked him to pay all my medical bills, but I objected and told them, I don't want him to pay anything I just want him to face the law for the pains he has caused me. The police then said, they will give him a charge to bail, we should return the following week, and they said, we can resolve everything amicably at home, without involving the law."
"When we went back home, my mom and I insisted we do not need anything from them; we only want justice because the same guy had almost attempted to ràpè my friend a few months back," she lamented.
"We wanted to pursue the case with my family, but we have no one to support us, we have no financial resources to help, so we decided to embrace the dialogue and let everything go."
"I am passing through a lot of trauma, from my heart, I want justice for myself and for other victims out there, I wanted him to pay for all he has done to me, but poverty has made my voice silent."
"The discrimination I am passing through has made me not freely associate with people like before. Everyone sees me as a failure."
Ràpè survivors need legal support - Advocate
A sexual and gender-based violence advocate in Adamawa, Mr. Dikyami Elishama, working with Big 360 Family, told Legit.ng that many ràpè survivors face trauma and are often pressured by poverty or family to abandon cases.
Source: Original
He further stressed the need for legal action and support.
"The trauma that survivors pass through, especially in ràpè cases, ranges from psychological to physical, which affects their mental health. Some survivors, due to poverty, threat or fear of discrimination, will decide not to pursue a case; however, they did not plan on forgiving the perpetrator for what he has done to them"
"In cases of ràpè as such, family members or role models of a survivor will force the survivor to end the matter or resolve to dialogue without considering the consequences of their actions, simply because the survivor is vulnerable."
"There is a law attached to such an act of ràpè, which is life imprisonment for the perpetrator according to the Nigerian Constitution; however, in local communities, family dialogue has made the perpetrator to be boasting around and repeat the act consecutively because he feels the law has no right on him," Mr Elisha narrated.
"The survivor at this stage of life needs psycho-social counseling with the consent of the survivor to her not become mentally traumatic and to enable her to pursue the case legally."
Mr Elishama noted, "There are human rights organizations that are working towards ensuring that justice is done for any act committed against the law. The parents of the survivor should always speak up whenever such things happen because, in some cases, the perpetrator threatens the victim and such can cause a lot of trauma to the survivor."
"The first stage of following ràpè cases is a police report and a medical examination, after which the legal action will be taken."
He concluded:
"I will advise ràpè survivors to always be bold and speak up. Keeping quiet will only lead to much destruction and even loss of life due to trauma. No matter the financial instability, they should report to any human rights organizations, and we will immediately respond. Justice must be served."
Adamawa resident murdered after alleged uniformed abduction
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Joseph Ardo was abducted from his Kuma community home in Adamawa’s Suktu district by men wearing military and vigilante uniforms around 10 p.m. on September 6 and was later found dead with his throat slìt.
Villagers identified some of the vigilante‑clad attackers; the group rode nine motorcycles and sparked fear and unrest as family members sought answers from local authorities, with no immediate explanation given.
The victim’s relatives and the district head have called for a thorough police investigation, urging security agencies to arrest those responsible and prevent vigilantism in the area.
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Source: Legit.ng
