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Sunday 16 October 2011

Rape's silent victims .. Abia State Video-taped rape cont.

The Abia State commissioner of police has said there is no case to answer as he has watched the video and the victim did NOT resist. I guess in his world, a woman being raped by 5 men for HOURS, while she cries in pain, begs and pleads for them to stop, until finally falling silent in anguish and exhaustion, is actually writhing in joy and moaning with pleasure. Maybe she should have leapt up, overpowered all 5 attackers, beaten them up, hand-cuffed them, and dragged them to the police station. Maybe that might, just might, have led this intelligent commissioner to accept a brutal gang-rape had taken place.

Let's face it, if there had been no video, there wouldn't even be a story. No-one would have believed the girl even if she screamed the story from the roof-tops. However, there was a video, put out on the internet by the rapists, absolute indisputable clear evidence of a gang-rape AND still we have people in power who are MEANT to protect the victim arguing there is no rape because a single woman did not beat up FIVE men!

However Nigeria is changing slowly. The horror of the Abia rape has caused the press to cover other rape stories. A 15 year old girl kidnapped by a gang of 8 in Lagos and held and raped continually for 2 weeks before the police caught them and rescued her. A female Youth Corper raped by 4 men in the North who 'cornered' her as she returned from her teaching post (2 of those rapists have been arrested). This week, there was a Nigerian news article about a man in his 30's in court for raping a 7 or 8yr old girl - however that is child abuse and a subject for a different blog notecard!

There is no justification of rape. It destroys lives, warps souls and leaves unending pain. Rape is NOT about sex - it is about power and control! In a time and era when there is unlimited access to free or paid sex, no rapist rapes because of the overwhelming need for sexual gratification. Pscheeew!

Let us also remember it is not only women who are raped. Men also get raped. 2 weeks ago, there was a news report of a 25yr old man in Scotland who was raped by another man on his way back home. The victim of this rape is not homosexual and he was not flaunting himself to his rapist in anyway (for those who believe it is the victim to blame). This 25yr old man was on his way home, when he was jumped, had a knife held to his throat and was then brutally raped and assaulted. His life, like the Abia State victim will NEVER be the same again.

Police and rape victim support groups all over the world know that most victims of male-on-male rape will NEVER talk about it, will NEVER tell their wives or girlfriends, will NEVER tell their friends, and will just try to live with the shame AND horror AND devastation AND nightmares.

Some men are victims of rape by women. I just read an article from Uganda about 3 women who have been arrested for carrying out a series of rapes over the last 3 years. These female rapists have at least 30 known male victims. The men were raped either by being drugged or by having a gun held to their heads. The police speculate the women who were caught with 17 condoms of semen were doing it for JUJU, because in Native Rituals in Uganda, male semen is considered potent.

Man's inhumanity to man knows no bounds. All over the world, more women than men are victims of rape - however the pain, shame, agony, horror, emotional devastation, physical pain, mental anguish suffered by both female and male victims is the same.

We have to speak up against rape otherwise it is an evil that will continue to flourish. Let us educate and raise our sons to flee from EVEN thinking about committing such evil. Let us warn our daughters to flee the temptation of also becoming rapists like the 3 Ugandan women. Let us educate ourselves that there is NO justification for rape under ANY circumstances. That includes marital rape - it is just as WRONG!

The fear of GOD is the beginning of wisdom. I have NOT said going to church or quoting scriptures is the beginning of wisdom. The FEAR of GOD is what imparts wisdom into the hearts of men. Godly fear causes us to flee evil. Let us raise the next generation to FEAR GOD and respect their fellow human beings.

xx

7 comments:

john obienu said...

It's a shame, that in this country we like to play the ostrich as if the problem will simply disappear.

Noir said...

That is so sad and so true. :-(

Olu Adebanjo said...

A colleague's facebook status had a story about the arrest and detention of her friend's father. His offence? getting attacked by armed robbers,watching a tenant get killed in the process and unfortunately (yes unfortunately)reporting the matter to the police.I honestly believe stupidity is dangerous,when combined with sheer callousness and inherent in a person with power and authority,danger lurks and terrible occurrences are inevitable. The Abia state commissioner of police and many others like him are dangerous individuals, they possess those traits in abundance.

Olumide Adebanjo said...

"Maybe she should have leapt up, overpowered all 5 attackers, beaten them up, hand-cuffed them, and dragged them to the police station".

Considering the shocking level of reasoning exhibited so far, this may not have been far from his expectations. This piece captured the main essentials, well done.

Noir said...

Oh my gosh, arrested for reporting a robbery to the police? Sometimes it takes everything within me not to lose hope that things will change. They MUST change!

Noir said...

Thanks for your lucid intelligent inssight. And thanks for the kind words too. *giggle*

You are right - Nigerian policemen actually think and act that way. I've had a victim of a robbery tell me that when he called the police, the corporal on duty told him to arrest the 4 robbers, hand-cuff them and bring them to the station! If it wasn't so tragic and painful, it would almost be laughable.

Olumide Adebanjo said...

Tragic and painful indeed, I however couldn't resist laughing at the sheer idiocy of the suggestion. We'll keep prarying for our beloved homeland.I'll get to your piece on the former Libyan strongman soon.