Grace Ike Seeks Govt Funded Compensation Scheme For Victims Of Sexual and Gender based crimes
Comfort Chukwukelue
Chairperson, House of Representatives Press Corps and Vice chairman Correspondence Chapel FCT Council Comrade Grace Ike, Wednesday advocated for government funded compensation scheme for victims of rape and violent crimes.
Grace made the call in her presentation during the launch of ‘Tears from the Grave’, a publication by Mr Lemmy Ughegbe of the Men Against Rape Foundation, MARF, dedicated to the memory of victims of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, in Abuja, Nigeria capital city.
Comrade Grace Ike said if such funds are made available it will serve for compensation and also help victims restart their lives as this is a critical gap that demands urgent attention.
The Chairperson further said “Tears from the Grave” demonstrates our collective resolve to confront and eradicate this pervasive issue.
The statistics are alarming—a recent survey in Nigeria revealed that 31.4% of sexually active adolescent females and 5.7% of males experienced forced sex (rape) at sexual initiation.
Shockingly, female adolescents living with HIV are disproportionately affected by this violence.
It is truly heartbreaking when individuals, regardless of age or gender, fall victim to such abhorrent acts. The normalization of sexual violence is spreading like wildfire, leaving victims in unimaginable physical and psychological anguish.
Every day, we are confronted with distressing accounts of girls and women enduring unspeakable trauma due to sexual violence. What’s even more disturbing is the growing trend of perpetrators committing murder, killing their victims after these heinous acts—an act that must be condemned in the strongest terms.
SGBV knows no boundaries—it transcends age, ethnicity, color, socioeconomic status, and geography.
While the list of victims in Nigeria is extensive, many cases remain unreported due to fear of stigma and inadequate support systems.
Despite existing legislation imposing severe penalties for SGBV offenses, prosecution rates remain dismally low. Victims often shy away from reporting due to fear of stigma and the arduous legal process.
I am particularly troubled by the absence of a government-funded compensation scheme for victims of sexual and violent crimes in Nigeria. This is a critical gap that demands urgent attention from our policymakers”
The Chairperson also admonished all to unite and stand against Sexual and gender based violence.
