Last updated on May 30th, 2021 at 07:45 am
The Nigerian state of Kaduna has passed a new law under which men convicted of rape will be subjected to surgical castration as a form of punishment, the New York Times reports.
Men convicted of rape against children under the age of 14 will be castrated and later executed under the law while the women will have their fallopian tubes cut out.
The strict law comes against the backdrop of a spike in sexual and gender related offences especially during the coronavirus lockdown which Nigerian women affairs’ minister says have trippled the average rate of 2 million reported cases per year.
” Drastic penalties are required to help further protect children from a serious crime” Kaduna state Governor Nasir Ahmad el- Rufai is quoted as saying after signing the new into force.
Under the previous law, a person convicted of rape would face a maximum of 21 years in prison while child rape attracted life imprisonment. Women and Child rights activists have been pushing for a more stricter law to stem the increase in sexual and gender related cases.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is no exception. In Uganda, atleast 21000 child abuse cases have reportedly been registered during the coronavirus lockdown according to Government and some activists notably former Minister Miria Matembe have called for castration against offenders to deter the scourge.
” If any body part leads you to sin, cut it off” Matembe was quoted as saying in 2015.
Benjamin Ahikiiriza is a Professional Legal Writer And Digital Communications And Marketing Specialist Focused on Helping Lawyers, Law Firms And the Legal Sector Leverage Digital Communication Tools to Achieve Their Goals.
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