Lagos State Office of Public Defender, has admonished the people of the State to desist from pleading for crime offenders so as to allow the law to take its course.

According to the agency, the appeal became necessary following the prevalent practice of pleading on behalf of perpetrators of crime thus slowing down the pace of justice system in the society.

Its Director, Olayinka Adeyemi says they should stop begging for the perpetrators, as it is shameful to see that they are pleading for criminals as against supporting the government to ensure those who commit evil acts do not go free so as to serve as deterrent to others.

According to Adeyemi, people must not encourage negative acts in the society, saying if nothing is done to perpetrators of evil acts, they will go back to commit more grievous offences or encourage others to do likewise.

She spoke at the sensitisation campaign and legal clinic held at the palace of the Onigando of Igando, Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi, saying there was no ignorance in law and as such anyone who goes against the law should be made to face the consequence.

Adeyemi said they had noticed that when the offences were committed, particularly against children; landlords, community and religious leaders, family members and respectable people in the society usually plead on their behalf. They even go to the extent of pressurising the parents of the children involved not to follow up the case.

While expressing concern over the increasing cases of sexual offences, especially rape and defilement of children, she reaffirmed the State Government zero tolerance for domestic violence.

Rape, she said, was a form of domestic violence just like defilement and that the punishment for both was life imprisonment under the Criminal Law of Lagos.

In her words, for efficient and effective judicial service delivery, all hands must be on deck, all must be ready to speak out when offence was committed, especially against the women who were mostly victims of the type of offence and who might be afraid to report the crime because of stigmatisation.

Office of Public Defender was established to render free legal services to the less privileged members of the State with emphasis on the socio-economic rights of women, children and persons living with disability.