Stiffer penalties await rapists, paedophiles in Ekiti
...As state enacts law to conduct psychiatric test, publish photos of culprits
Kehinde Adewole, Ado Ekiti
Stiffer measures will now be meted out to rapists and paedophiles in Ekiti State.
To this end, the state government, on Monday, went tough on culprits by enacting laws enabling the state to conduct compulsory psychiatric test and publish their names and photographs on the website of the state’s Ministry of Justice.
The state government also added that names of the offenders would also be announced on the state owned radio and television, while the monarch of the town he hailed from would be alerted for them to get information about his personality.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda expressed concerns that the menace kept increasing despite high number of convictions recorded in the state.
He said Governor Kayode Fayemi was uncomfortable with the increasing cases of sexual violence and that there was need for proactive actions to deal decisively with the situation.
Fapohunda said the new measures put in place would support the aggressive prosecution and exclusion of offenders from governor’s prerogative of mercy that were already in place.
“The additional measures put in place include pasting the photographs of convicted offenders in prominent public spaces in their communities and their local government headquarters.
“Issuing an advisory to the traditional rulers of the offender’s communities on the status of the offender.
“Uploading the sex offenders photograph on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
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“Showing photographs of sex offenders on Ekiti State Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State , announcing their names on radio and television.
“Compulsory Psychiatric Test for all persons of whom the Director of Public Prosecution has issued a case to answer legal advice for the offence of child defilement. This also includes persons standing trials “, he said.
The Commissioner clarified that the government would take actions that would deprive offenders of their rights to dignity.
Fapohunda stated that the government was aware that conviction alone would not solve the problem, promising that public education and awareness would be stepped up to sensitise the populace.
