Nigerians Cite Reasons For Rape, But Castrating Offenders Will Endanger Women

Cases of rape and defilement of girls and underage children by adults have been on the rise across the country.

While many have suggested castration as punishment experts and stakeholders who spoke to THE WHISTLER think castration would endanger the lives of women as the offenders will devise other means of expressing their frustration, including serial killings.

Ogechi Ikeh, the executive director, Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights, opined that castration might be counter-productive in the long run as the ‘beasts’ could become serial killers of women, having lost their ‘rape tools’. In her words, “Castrating the culprits will push the trends back temporarily, but it will not totally solve the problem. Rather, it will open more doors for other vices because it takes a debased mind to rape. In fact, castration can take a higher gear, like turning the person into a serial killer; and other means to inflict pains on the female folk.”

Ikeh identified the causes to include superstition and gender inequality. Quoting her, “Superstitious beliefs where a man would be asked to defile a virgin or a baby to make money is attributed to a possible reason why even old men do this. One can also look at the patriarchal society/gender inequality in our society where men see women as subordinate. Again, one can attribute this rising incident to mental illnesses. Most people are psychologically incapacitated, and are prone to abuse because they were also abused.”

She suggested that making women a part of the decision-making body in government was one of the solutions, as it would enable adequate laws to punish perpetrators.

The Anambra State PPRO, SP Haruna Mohammed, said, “The reasons still remain sketchy as most suspects arrested kept on attributing their dastardly acts to devil’s influences. But in all, there is need for attitudinal change, advocacy, prompt reporting of rape cases, non-compromises by parents of victims for monetary inducement by suspects to thwart police investigations and diligence prosecutions.”

Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, chairman, Correspondent Chapel, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Enugu, said one of the ways to control the ugly trend was to imbibe good family values. “Parents should be at the vanguard of inculcating these values in their children.

Government should revive moribund industries and establish new ones to get youths gainfully employed. Moreover, stiffer measures should be adopted for rape offenders to serve as a deterrent. Intensive sensitization is also needed, especially at the rural areas, to ensure that rape victims speak out, and would never be stigmatized.”

An information officer, Mrs Antonia Okafor, identified idleness and wickedness as the causes. In her view, “Anybody who is reasonably busy will have no time for such practices. The whole thing boils down to uncontrollable lust and wickedness. I advise mothers not to send their under-aged on errands because such exposes them to dangers. One of the ways toward curbing this scourge is by passing a strident law to try offenders.”

For a security consultant, Comdt Edwin Ugwuja, “Children should be educated on the dangers of rape and defilements. They should be aware of the antics of rapists to avoid being victims. The major cause of rape is lack of self control, moral decadence, peer influence and ritual purposes as some rapists do it to fulfill their diabolic agreements.”

On castration, Ugwuja said, “Castration is not a permanent solution as a castrated person can still have the urge. Anyone who is not morally upright can still indulge in defilements using fingers while some do it orally. So, castration isn’t the solution. Otherwise, how far has execution of armed robbers and bandits curbed criminal activities?”

John Money, emeritus professor of medical psychology and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has revealed that, “Surgical castration usually involves removal of the testicles that produce the male hormone testosterone. The penis is left intact. Men who are castrated often are still able to have an erection and may be capable of intercourse. Their sex drive is diminished because the testicles are no longer present to produce testosterone. But the drive is not eliminated. A small amount of testosterone is also produced in the adrenal glands; if the supply from the testicles is reduced, the adrenal glands compensate and produce more of the hormone.”