The Lagos State government has said an 18-month-old child was among 2,588 children who were sexually and emotionally abused between August 2022 and July 2023 in the State.
The State’s Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General, Titilayo Shitta-Bey disclosed this on Thursday during the flag-off of the 2023 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, themed ‘Not in my Lagos’.
Shitta-Bey was represented by the Executive Secretary, of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi.
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Adeniyi during her remarks said, “From August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023, the agency has handled 5624 cases which are into two categories, adults and children”.
She noted that the agency receives an average of 250 clients every month. For the adults, 91 percent of survivors were female and nine per cent were male.
For children, she said 45 percent of survivors were boys while 55 per cent were girls.
She further noted that 40 percent of the affected children are undergoing counselling programmes to prevent psychological damage and impact in the future.
“In the period under review, the Agency has provided services to 7 Persons with Disabilities who were experiencing one form of Gender-Based Violence or the other.
“The youngest child that experienced sexual violence was an 18-month-old baby, while the oldest client that experienced domestic violence was a 79-year-old woman,” she said.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and across the world, organisations and individuals working on issues concerning domestic violence connect to raise awareness for those issues.
These organisations are to educate community members about the prevalence of domestic violence, encourage action, and help those experiencing abuse learn about the resources and options that are available to them.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NCADV, one in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
Also, one in seven women and one in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner. While one in four women and one in seven men have been victims of severe physical violence.
According to the CLEEN Foundation, cases of Domestic violence are on the rise and show no signs of reduction in Nigeria, regardless of age, tribe, religion, or even social status.