THE sad demise of popular gospel singer, Mrs. Osinachi Nwachukwu, allegedly at the hands of her violent and abusive husband, has drawn attention to one of the most troubling threats to family life: domestic abuse.

It includes spousal violence, rape, physical and psychological traumas and murder. Marriages and cohabitations which usually start with love, happiness and hope deteriorate into incessant quarrels, clashes of will, divergent interests, betrayals, cheatings and ultimately violence which often lead to death.

Domestic abuse involves both genders, but those usually at the receiving end are the women, girls and children. It is majorly fuelled by wrong cultural mindsets. It confers superiority complexes on the male head of the family who feels entitled to physically impose himself on his wife or partner.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO: “Worldwide, almost one third (27 per cent) of women aged 15-49 years who have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner”.

It is also reported that globally, 137 women are killed by their partners or family members every day, and women aged between 15 and 44 are particularly at risk of violence, rape and murder.

There has been a heightened level of advocacy against domestic violence and spousal abuse in Nigeria. The social media which trended the Osinachi Nwachukwu tragedy also goes a long way in stigmatising the practice.

Cognisant of government’s responsibility to lead the way in curbing this menace, the Lagos State Government in 2007 passed the Protection Against Domestic Violence Law.

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The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, handled 10,007 cases from May 2019 to August 2021, according to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN.Out of these, 4,150 involved physical violence, 177 rape cases, 255 attempts at rape, 246 sexual assaults, 877 spousal separations which usually result in child neglect, 436 cases of child abuse, 271 cases of defilement, 454 cases of child labour and 148 cases of sexual molestation.

While we commend the LASG for taking proactive steps to criminalise domestic violence, we urge other state governments to set up similar mechanisms. The law enforcement agencies must get serious in curbing domestic violence and abuse. Gone are the days when violence in homes was seen as “a family affair” because lives and the well-being of people are involved.

We must reorientate our people to change wrong attitudes toward their partners within marital unions. Men are the heads of families in order to promote love, care and protection for their wives and children, not to dehumanise them.

Whenever marriages fail, the partners should part ways amicably rather than resort to violence, while steps are taken to ensure that the children are fully provided for.

Vanguard News Nigeria