The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Rivers State, has bemoned the imminent rise in cases of sexual abuse on students by their teachers and caregivers in the State.
According to FIDA, it is disheartening that students are no longer safe in the hands of those charged to take care of them.
Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt, the Chairperson of FIDA in the State, Adata Bio-Briggs, said over 50 cases of teachers defiling their students had been reported and charged to court between January and April 2022.
She said some of the recent cases were recorded in Ahoada, Elelenwo and Rumuokuta areas of the state, even as she commended the police for promptly prosecuting many of the cases.
“It is sad and disheartening that we have a lot of students that have been defiled by their caregivers and teachers. We presently have a case from Ahoada; a seven year-year-old child defiled by her teacher. We have another case of a child somewhere in Elelenwo that was also defiled by her teacher.
“We have another one in Rumuokuta, where the child was also defiled by her teacher. So, we have a lot of cases of teachers defiling people they are supposed to be caregivers to. This year alone, we have had more than 50 defilement issues. All the matters of children being defiled by their teachers have been charged to court,” she said.
She, however, noted that the association is faced with the challenge of obstruction of prosecution processes by family members of victims and urged the public to report gender-based crimes to FIDA.
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