VAPPL Law: Kaduna govt to implement castration for male rapists, tubal ligation for female rapists
The Kaduna State government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPPL) passed in 2018, which includes surgical castration for male rapists and bilateral salpingectomy for female rapists.
Rabi Salisu, the commissioner for human services and social development, made this known at a gender-based violence stakeholders’ conference organized by her ministry in collaboration with the Centre for Integrated and Health Programmes (CIHP).
Salisu explained that the law was a result of advocacy, lobbying, and awareness-raising efforts by civil society organizations in the state in conjunction with relevant government agencies.
She noted that reported cases of violence against women and girls (VAWG) have increased in Kaduna since the enactment of the VAPPL in December 2018, which could be attributed to increased awareness about VAWG and the availability of the law.
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According to Salisu, Kaduna has recorded a total of 832 VAWG cases so far this year, as reported by the National Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Data Situation Room and dashboard for prevention and response to GBV in Nigeria.
She added that the 16 days between November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and December 10 are known as the ‘Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.’
This campaign is used to demonstrate solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls.
Salisu acknowledged that although some progress has been made in the campaign to end violence against women and girls through the VAPPL, some challenges still exist.
These challenges include slow uptake of the law characterized by prosecutors not applying it to reported GBV cases. Instead, they apply other laws like the Penal Code and Administration of Criminal Justice Law due to stiffer penalties in those laws than the VAPP.
Other barriers to accessing justice by survivors and victims of VAWG include undue pressure on survivors and their families to accept out-of-court settlements by their communities, delays in prosecuting cases by the police and courts, and poor awareness among citizens and service providers.
Salisu emphasized that it is crucial to strengthen the justice system, intensify GBV case findings, provide essential clinical and non-clinical services to survivors of GBV, and improve access to these services.
NAN
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