By Olasunkanmi Akoni, Monsuru Olowoopejo & Amarachi Chukwudi

Lagos—AT least 700 cases of rape, sexual assaults, defilement are currently pending across courts in Lagos State, even as 80 percent of domestic violence victims were abused in their infant stage.

Meantime, Lagos State Government has concluded plans to organize an ‘All Male walk’ campaign to sensitize the public on the need to tackle the continued increase in cases of rape, sexual assaults, defilement and others in the state.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said this, yesterday, at a media parley in  Lagos, which was also attended by Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Lagos, Mrs Dolapo Badmos; a Magistrate, Sherifat Sholebo; and Coordinator of Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi.

Sholebo said: “Presently, we have 700 pending rape cases in court. As at July, we had 585 in courts of rape. It might not be all the cases that are in court, but this is the year that we have had triple of what we had in other years.”

She noted that the cases were between the perpetrators and the state, lamenting that a “major contributory factor delaying the wheel of justice is stigmatization and family not wanting to continue with the case. The perpetrators of the crime are closer to the victim.”

Earlier, Kazeem said that the result of the research conducted in prison in February 2016 showed that 80.9 percent of the inmates were abused as children, “implying that they had become sexually active at an early age. And this illustrates the trend of abused abuser.”

The Attorney-general, who was represented by Director of Citizens Right, Mrs. Omotilewa Ibirogba, explained that the ‘All Male walk’ is aimed at helping the state tackle rising cases of domestic violence in the state.

Pastors, Imams perpetrating act — Police

On her part, The lagos PPRO said: “The concern of the command is having at the moment is people who claim to be religious leaders. They hide under the fact that they are religious leaders to perpetrate domestic violence in the state.

“Just last week, we rescued 30 girls from an acclaimed man of God and I can assure you that the police would come out with report soon.”