NAPTIP to establish sex offenders register
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has on Thursday announced plans to establish a sex offenders register which will contain names of perpetrators.
Director NAPTIP , Julie Okah-Donli informed that the aim of the sex register which will be distributed to relevant agencies is to shame offenders and make it easy for agencies to detect perpetrators thereby preventing further cases of sexual violence.
Okah-Donli disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting in the implementation of Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) in Abuja organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (ROLAC).
She revealed that sex offenders have been caught in shelters provided for victims of Violence where they continue in their act undetected. She also lamented that cases of violence especially against women and children is still on the rise.
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The DG further lamented that FCT lacks functional and effective shelters. “We need to have effective shelters for victims of Violence in FCT, NAPTIP is doing its best to house the victims for now, but there is a need to establish more shelters to take care of increasing number of victims of Violence in the six area council”
She stated that a lot still needs to be done to prevent cases of violence against Persons. She also informed that NAPTIP is working on a 3- digit short code, a number to call for help as regards cases of violence.
Okah-Donli also said violence go on as a result of ignorance on the part of the victims, “there is therefore a need to create massive awareness, embark on national orientation, because if people don’t know their rights then they won’t know when they are being violated or when to report cases” she said.
She however commended efforts by the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption, ROLAC for providing gazetted copies of the VAPP Act of 2015 which “is a step forward in ensuring the protection of women and children who are victims of violence in our society.
“The gazetted copies of the Act will serve judicial, administrative and informative purposes, we thank ROLAC for the laudable achievement,” she said.
