Groups canvass special court to handle gender-based violence

The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Pyrate Confraternity, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and International Elite Women Initiative(IEWI) have canvassed the creation of a special court to handle gender-based violence (GVB) and sexual abuse cases, saying: “delay in justice delivery in Nigeria is tantamount to justice denied.”

The groups, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, collaborated to mark United Nations (UN) Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and commencement of 16-day activism against all forms of gender-based violence.

The President of Port Harcourt chapter, Mezie Anaba, said due to slow pace of justice dispensation, victims get discouraged. Some even die while waiting for judgment.

Anaba disclosed that UN 2030 Goal To Eliminate Violence Against Women could be attainable, if all parties involved understood they were all caught up in a web of mutuality.

He said: “Whatever affects a woman directly affects the man. And if we can operate from this mode, I want to believe that 2030 goal set by the UN could be achieved…”

Enjoyance Jumbo, a lawyer, said: “There should be special criminal courts, where every matter that has to do with rape, gender-based violence and defilement can be assigned to.”

Also, FIDA’s legal officer in Rivers, Edna Esaenwi-Amadi, lamented increase in cases of sexual abuse, disclosing that her office records over nine cases daily, ranging from rape, defilement, domestic violence, and others.

She sought more sensitisation and collaboration with the public to report cases to the association.