A total of 124 victims of sexual assault and dome-stic violence were attended to in the first five months of operation of the Mirabel Cen-tre for Rape Victims, the first sexual violence and referral centre in Nigeria, located at the Lagos State University Tea-ching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos.
Disclosing this, yesterday, in Lagos during the official opening of the centre, Executive Director/Managing Partner, Partnership for Justice, Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba, said Oshodi, Mafoluku, Ikeja, Mile 12, Ketu and Ojodu areas of Lagos, were flashpoints for assault and sexual violence because the highest number of incidents reported at the centre, were recorded at these places.
“Most of the clients we have attended to were young girls between 11 and 15.
“We also had cases of age 0-11. About 80 per cent are mi-nors referred to us by the Fa-mily Support Unit of the Police. “When someone is raped, that person is sent to us to carry out the medical examinations and tests and the result is sent back to the Director of Public Prosecution’s office for advice.
“We monitor the process and provide support.”
She said the idea for such a centre was first mooted 10 years ago, adding “the Centre is meant to be a place where people will not be judged or discriminated against on the basis of their experience as a victim of sexual violence.”
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