.Minister faults rejection of patient in Maitama hospital
The Federal Government has planned a legal action against Enugu-based couple, Mr Ifeanyi and Mrs Christabel Ewuru, for alleged sexual defilement and gross neglect of their eight-year-old daughter.
Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, made this known at a media conference, yesterday, in Abuja.
According to her, while Mr Ewuru, stepfather of the girl, would be prosecuted for sexually molesting the girl multiple times, breaking her virginal walls, and inflicting her with sexually transmitted diseases, her mother would be sued for gross negligence, and aiding the perpetrator to escape justice.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said the ministry would take up legal action against the couple to ensure the survivor gets justice as well as serve as deterrent to others, who might want to tow the same line.
“This eight-year-old girl has been molested severally by her stepfather, who has given her diseases, broken her walls, as confirmed in the hospital, also by the lawyer and mother of the girl.
“The matter was taken to court, but unfortunately, the Magistrate released the man on bail.
“We want to know why he was released despite the allegations against him, simply because the woman cried that she didn’t want her husband to be jailed.
“What about the voiceless girl? What about the torture, emotional pains the girl went through and threat not to disclose the molestation?
“We are suing the woman for negligence. Because if she was not negligent, this girl would not have suffered this thing for a long time,” she said.
Lamenting the attitude of the mother, the minister added: “The woman had the guts to defend the man who did this to her daughter simply because she wants to keep the marriage or what I don’t know.”
She expressed concerns over incessant cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), harmful traditional practices and other forms of abuses meted on women, children and the vulnerable.
According to her, establishment of mobile courts will hasten the prosecution of SGBV, and other harmful practices against women and children, as well as ensure survivors gets justice.
Meanwhile, Kennedy-Ohaneye has described the alleged rejection and refusal by Maitama Hospital Abuja, to treat a victim, Miss Greatness Olorunfemi, pushed out of a moving vehicle shortly before she died, as gross inhumanity.
According to her, the staff and their heads who were on duty when the victim was brought in must be made to face justice to prevent such from happening again.
The victim was allegedly rejected by staff at Maitama Hospital in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja, when she was rushed there by good Samaritans for treatment.
The minister said government is doing a follow-up to ensure all those found culpable are punished.
She noted with despair that hospitals are meant to be places where lives are saved, the sick are cared for and nurtured to health and those in need of emergency help attended to, but sadly that appears not to have been done for the late victim.
According to her, pre-action letter will be sent to some staff on duty and their heads as well as management at the Maitama General Hospital over the alleged negligence and refusal to treat Miss Greatness Olorunfemi, victim of “one chance” before her death at the hospital.
