A bill to prohibit the stigmatisation of victims of rape and insurgency has passed second reading in the Senate.
This followed debate on the general principles of the bill by the sponsor, Sen. Sani Musa (Niger-APC) during Wednesday’s plenary.
The bill is entitled “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit the Stigmatisation of Victims of Rape and Insurgency in order to encourage victims of rape to testify in court and victims of insurgency to be reintegrated into the community of his or her choice.”
Leading the debate, Musa said that the bill was read for the first time in the chamber on Dec. 10, 2019.
He said that the objective of the bill was to provide a legal and institutional framework for the protocol for reintegration of victims of rape and insurgency in the country.
Musa said that the bill if passed into law, would certainly provide a new lease of life for victims of rape and in the country.
He said that it was high time the Senate legislated and took actions that would address some of the shortcomings in the country’s legal system on issues of stigmatisation for victims of rape and violence.
Supporting the debate, Sen. Sandy Onor (Cross River-PDP) said that one of the topmost issue that was gaining currency in the country was the unending protest against rape and brutality against women.