In a bid to eradicate the evil act of rape or any form of sexual assault/harassment, all hands must be on deck. In other words, the campaign against the rampant occurrence of rape requires our collective effort.

The fact that we live in an abnormal society, where crimes are being committed on a daily basis including rape can never be overruled. The reason why there’s an outcry is because of the recent cases that came to the fore. What about all other cases that have been happening without our knowledge? Father assaulting daughter, teacher assaulting pupil, stranger on the street assaulting his/her victim.

The point is that there are so many incidences of sexual assaults and it has been on the increase basically because we live in an abnormal society. Having known the status of the society we live in, what do we do to protect ourselves and loved ones from this evil act that has an excruciating impact?

It is not enough to fight behind the keyboards or have an online/on-sight campaign saying NO TO RAPE. I repeat, the fact that we live in an abnormal society should never be overruled.

Rape happens on streets, in cars, in schools, in parks, and in alleys. The perpetrators have no regard for age, race, or social status. Rape is not a selective crime. It is in most cases, random.

Personal safety, however, must begin with individuals. Help protect yourself by taking the steps to protect yourself from sexual assault. It is high time we started enlightening ourselves with the preventive measures because they go a long way to curb the situation. Never walk alone at night, report any teacher, lecturer or guy that touches you in sensitive parts of your body, avoid blind trusts, don’t visit a friend or stranger in a quite or dark place, and above all, never put yourself in a position that would make you become a victim of sexual assault.

Similarly, parents should enlighten their children about sex education. The effect of this will go a long way. Will it be right to conclude that both sexes are responsible for the occurrence of rape? No. We just live in an abnormal society!

Of course, there’s no justification or whatsoever for rape but prevention they say is better than cure. Let us understand the society we live in, a society that consists of perverted and mentally incapacitated persons who will always exhibit their animalistic behavior, irrespective of the outcry and vociferations. That way, we can collectively conquer this immoral and illicit act that has become prevalent in our society.

People have complained bitterly about the criminal justice system in Nigeria, that is, there is a delay in the dispensation of justice and the punishment that has been attributed to rape in our laws are not sufficient to serve as deterrence to the assailants and prospective rapists.

I further recommend that special courts be created with strong legislative wordings on the time within which the prosecution should prove his case, time to raise no case submission, the time within which the defendant is to open his defence, among others with a proviso that the times are not extendable. It is recommended that death penalty be made as the punishment for rape, this shall automatically lead to the alteration/amendment of the existing laws on rapes or perhaps, enactment of new ones.

Abdulazeem Olamide, Ologuntere is a Lagos-based Legal Practitioner. He can be reached via Linkedln: Abdulazeem Ologuntere, Facebook: Abdulazeem Ologuntere