By Akanimo Sampson
Some front line international agencies operating in Nigeria are currently making efforts to bridge the gaps in social support and effective justice services for victims of sexual assault in the country.
They are already providing free immediate emergency medical treatment, counseling and follow up support to survivors of rape and sexual assault.
By the end of last October, there were 11 established Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in 10 states of the federation – Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Niger and Yobe.
With funding from the European Union (EU) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), an instrument of the British Council, and Pathfinder International are collaborating to enhance the quality of service delivered by SARCs and to replicate the SARC initiative across the country.
Since the first SARC opened in 2012, over 6,700 survivors of sexual assault have received support from the SARCs, 60% of whom are said to be girls under 14 years. In addition to the services provided to survivors, SARC medical staff are trained in forensic medical examination and documentation, so they can provide medical reports to support the prosecution of rape cases in court.
For instance, since the Rayuwa SARC in Niger State was established, 212 rape cases have been prosecuted, resulting in 23 convictions.
RoLAC officials told this reporter in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, that stakeholders have recognised the need for a platform that will facilitate information exchange, lesson sharing, and greater dialogue among SARCs, government institutions and other stakeholders.
The SARC Network was inaugurated in April 2016 with the aim of promoting best practice in the establishment and operation of SARCs or similar services and engaging more broadly across society to address the culture of silence and rape stigma. The Network meets bi-annually.
Last September, the fourth SARC Network meeting was held in Abuja. It brought together all SARCs and a broad selection of stakeholders from 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, including representatives of Ministries of Health, Gender/Women’s Affairs and Justice along with representatives from the office of the Vice President, the police, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and civil society.
The SARC Managers and Steering Committees reported on results achieved over the past year. The SARCs in Borno, Enugu, Kano, Jigawa, Lagos and Enugu reported an increase in client numbers, as a result of a focus on awareness raising and public sensitisation.
For the first time, the meeting considered what actions could be taken to enhance service delivery, support and response to persons with disabilities (PWDs) who have been victims of sexual assault. It is expected that between now and the next meeting, SARCs would not only have begun implementing agreed actions but would also be able to report specific ways in which their services are now more tailored to the needs of PWDs.
‘’The SARC Network supports best practice and a model national referral mechanism within the context of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015, which stipulates: Every victim is entitled to receive the necessary materials, comprehensive medical, psychological, social and legal assistance through governmental agencies and/or non-governmental agencies providing such assistance.
‘’The Network supports all SARCs and response services that provide the much needed professional and integrated confidential support services to survivors of sexual violence to aid their recovery, obtain redress, and enable reintegration into society following traumatic experience that they have had.
‘’I urge state governments to reach out to the SARC Network and leverage its technical expertise to replicate the SARC in other states’’, Professor Joy Ezeilo, Chairperson, SARC Network said.
