Prof Osunyikanmi

By Adesina Wahab

A university teacher, Prof. Adebukola Osunyikanmi, has urged tertiary institutions in the country to ensure transparency in reporting statistics about rape cases on campuses, as well as develop orientation materials on consent so as to stem the tide of increasing rape cases in the society.

This is just as she decried the increasing cases of murder of rape victims across the country.

Osunyikanmi, in a chat in Lagos, also enjoined parents to be watchful of their children and to be mindful of those they leave their children with.

She expressed disgust that some social non-conformists have turned the period of coronavirus disease outbreak in the country to prowling on innocent ladies and defiling them.

She warned that Nigerians must not entrench rape culture in the country, adding that bestial behaviour was never part of our culture.

Osunyikanmi said: “When I say rape culture, it can be described as a society where rape is prevalent and it is normal or blamed on the way the victims present themselves.

“Rape is very terrible and the victims don’t deserve blame but support, because blame might destroy the victim.  In actual fact, the stigmatization that goes with it has a way of discouraging not only the victims but their family members as well.

“As a lecturer for over two decades, I find the upsurge in rape cases especially during this period extremely alarming and saddening as well.

“The trend is now all over every area from those killed to those who call out their rapists on social media. I sincerely hope that when higher schools like universities and polytechnics as well as other citadels of learning resume the institutions will ensure that necessary steps to prevent such on campuses are taken.

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“We should all stop victim-blaming, and instead of teaching on how not to get raped, we must also teach people not to rape. We should stop the efforts of only suggesting that victims must protect themselves, but we should deal with the perpetrators as well.

“None of such cases when the made public should be allowed to die down and out.

“I find it shocking that a man or men would rape a female and still be callous enough to go ahead and kill such an already helpless person.

“There is an alarming number of rape cases but the incident of rape-murder cases is comparatively less.”

On how to stop the rising cases of rape, the professor said: “everyone should realise that silence during sex doesn’t mean consent and that rape will not end until men are a part of the solution.” She also added that no one should induce another into sex with drugs or alcohol.

She called for support for those fighting rapes in every way possible and also challenged the media to stop showing violence against women in whatever form.

Vanguard News Nigeria