Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) is deeply saddened by the viral news of the alleged shocking acts of sexual abuse in School for the Blind, Jabi, Abuja. This incident is extremely disheartening and highly condemnable, considering the fact that the perpetrators who are supposed to play parental role to the students in their care, within the school environment, turned around to abuse their trust and violate their innocence. This is exceedingly unacceptable and we strongly condemn these dastardly acts in unequivocal terms.
In a press release signed by the Executive Director, DRAC, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu on 23rd July, 2019, she affirms that DRAC as an organization is committed to protecting the rights of persons with disabilities especially women and children, DRAC continues to work to end all forms of violence against children with disabilities in their learning environment. To this end, we recently trained learners with disabilities in special / inclusive schools in the FCT as Peer Educators on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in order for them to enlighten and educate their peers on SGBV and how to report such. This was in response to our findings about the high rates of sexual abuse in Special / Inclusive schools in the FCT and the school authorities’ systematic and deliberate attempt to conceal these acts, protect the perpetrators and silence the victims.Â
Nigeria is signatory to many international and regional Treaties including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention of the Rights of the Child and has gone further to domesticate the Child Rights Act and Disability Act which stipulate the best interest of children with disabilities to be of paramount consideration in all circumstances, and for the child to be given protection and care necessary for his/her well-being. The Act further pushes for the right to dignity of the child and prohibits the physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect/maltreatment and sexual abuse of the child.
It is therefore very disheartening to note that despite the existence of these laws and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015, these acts of violence being meted out on this vulnerable population continue to go unchecked and unabated.
The alleged sexual abuse in School for the Blind, Jabi, is reminiscent of the recent allegations of sexual abuse in School for the Deaf, Kuje which indicate that despite their vulnerability, there are no child protection mechanisms and no deliberate attempt to ensure that these children study in a conducive learning environment protected from situations of harm. The continued sexual abuse of children in special schools in the FCT by staff and non-staff alike is inhuman and must be stopped as it is in contravention of these laws which Nigeria is bound to uphold.
These cases of violence, sexual abuse, discrimination, abandonment and injustices have become a disturbing trend in most of the Special / Inclusive schools across the country, series of abuse and violence continue to go unnoticed, unreported, without proper investigation and prosecution of perpetrators. Furthermore, children with disabilities are left out of sex and sexuality education interventions that are given to their non-disabled counterparts, thus leaving them uninformed and susceptible to all forms of abuse.
We hereby call on the Government to account for the wellbeing and bodily integrity of all children with disabilities in special / inclusive schools, while urging Education Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies to take necessary steps to address the growing spate of School-Related Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SRSGBV) and ensure the safety and protection of children with disabilities in special and inclusive schools in the FCT.
We appeal to all relevant agencies of Government and Civil Society Organizations that provide SGBV services to begin to tailor their services to address the peculiar vulnerabilities of women and children with disabilities to ensure that they have access to the necessary information and services.
We also call on well-meaning men and women to roundly condemn this despicable act and join us in demanding that the law enforcement agencies immediately embark on a thorough investigation of these allegations and ensure that the alleged perpetrators are brought to justice before a court of competent jurisdiction without further delay.
DRAC will continue to support children with disabilities to be able to define, identify, resist and report any act of abuse they face, while sensitizing stakeholders on the provision of disability inclusive SRH/SGBV information and services that are tailored to meet the needs of women and girls with disabilities.
