Lagos to employ technology in the fight against Gender-Based Violence.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month occurs during the month of October of every year from October first through October thirty-first.

If you’re a victim of abuse at the hands of someone you know or love, or you’re recovering from an assault by a stranger, you’re not alone. to get immediate help and support. The Lagos State Government through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, offers a wide range of educational events and awareness activities.

It also gives out additional tools, handouts, brochures, artwork, and other resources to raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact on communities and families.

To commemorate the Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, a media parley was held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa where the Lagos State Government, through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, said it was set to introduce technology in its bids to eradicate and successfully empower citizens in the fight against Gender-Based Violence.

It also said it had concluded plans to launch a short service code to avail residents the opportunity of reporting cases of domestic violence, sexual abuse, child abuse and other related offences with ease.

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem said the initiative was aimed at ensuring victims of all forms of abuse reach out to the appropriate agencies and receive timely information on what to do and where to get assistance.

Kazeem, who is also the Chairman of DSVRT, said the process entails members of the public sending a text message ‘Child Abuse’ to 6820 or dialling *6820# for an interactive menu that will solicit for relevant information from the user such as name, location, specific case or complaint and thereafter the whole response team is automatically notified.

In his words, “Anybody that needs to report a case of child abuse, rape or domestic violence or requires a child or a woman to be rescued can make use of the platform and should receive timely and accurate information”.

Kazeem said between January and September this year, a total of eight hundred and seventy-two cases of domestic violence and related cases were recorded in Lagos State, out of which five hundred and sixty-four were domestic violence cases, sixty defilement cases, thirty rape cases, eleven attempted rape, one hundred and twenty-three child neglect and abuse cases, and eighty-four other cases.

He said the trend from the data showed an increase in men coming forward to report cases of domestic violence, stressing that this year alone, a total number of fifty-five men came forward to report such cases in contrast to fourteen last year.

Kazeem maintained that under the present administration, the interventions of DSVRT were gradually breaking the silence around issues of sexual and gender based violence in the State.

“There is a growing confidence urging people to speak out more, there is an astronomical increase in reporting of cases in the media.Lagos has indeed revolutionized the way sexual and gender based violence is being tackled in Nigeria with all the pioneering initiatives of the present administration” Kazeem said.

While reiterating that ninety-five percent of the perpetrators of sexual violence are known to the victims, he said the data also indicated that most sexual assault cases were perpetrated in the afternoon during weekdays, which necessitated the need by DSVRT to embark on sensitisation campaigns for parents on parenting skills and child abuse prevention tips as well as training for children on child’s rights, child abuse, safety and how to preserve evidence.

He informed that some of the cases have been charged to the court through the State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, while stakeholders provided shelter for the survivors after receiving medical attention, among other efforts to properly rehabilitate and reintegrate them into the society.

During a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Police Command by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Rescue Team, they urged the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Oluwole Edgal, to join hands in the fight against domestic and sexual violence across the state.

The group sought absolute support in combating domestic violence in the state, urging police officers to stand guard and bring to book any form of violence, especially against women.

Edgal told the group to report any case of violence directly to the police as the Force would not vacillate in responding to such criminal act.

He said: “All cases of violence must be reported to the police force and we will make sure justice is adequately pursued without delay from any police officer from the senior officers to the rank and files across the state.

“Meanwhile, if any police officer is found guilty of corruption in combating any violent crime, the police force, through the Inspector General of Police will not be slack to deal with such officer.”

Edgal said he has equally mandated all the Divisional Police Officers to hit the ground running by bringing to book anyone involved in domestic violence as a sensitive case that needs special attention.