Grace Ike (not real name) lost her innocence at the age of 12.
Her violator was her father who, for over a year after deflowering her, repeatedly defiled her in his one-room apartment located in Surulere, a suburb of Lagos State, where he lived with his wife and five children.
Miss Ike's story is one of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, which had continued unabated until the timely intervention of concerned neighbours, women and children rights activists, and the Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development (MYSSD).
It all began in mid 2009 when Mr. Ike would put some substance in his eldest daughter's drink to make her sleep. Dead to the world, he would mount her and incestuously defile her. Recalling the first time this happened, the little girl said, "I woke up feeling pains all over my body. I did not know what happened to me,"As the abuse went on, Mr. Ike, a "prophet" of a white garment church in the area, no longer fancied "taking her" in her subdued state. He began openly demanding sex from his daughter, with the threat that if she refused, he would still drug her and have his way.
Be your neighbour's keeper
This continued until sometime in May 2010, when Miss Ike confided in a ‘prophetess', by name Precious, whom her father regularly took her to for prayers. "The girl is always afraid of her father. He used to beat her terribly. So I told her to tell me the truth what is going on. She now confessed and said her daddy has been sleeping with her. I could not believe it because of the trust I have for this man," Ms Precious said.
"I now sent for him and asked him. He started pleading. He said he doesn't know what comes over him, but that anytime he promises himself he'll stop this kind of thing, if he sees the girl his manhood will just stand up. He swore before God and man he would never do it again." Rather than stop, Mr. Ike gave his daughter a sound beating, while forbidding her to ever see Ms Precious, who by this time had got in touch with a direct neighbour living in the same building with the Ike family.
Over the next few months, the neighbour became vigilant and more suspicious when he noticed that besides always beating his daughter, Mr.Ike frequently entered the common bathroom shared by the residents of the building to watch his daughter while she took her bath. After questioning her, she opened up to the neighbour who immediately contacted the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), which promotes the rights of women and children.
Effective synergy
Afterwards, in conjunction with Media Concern, another NGO advocating women and children's rights, the case was reported on November 18, to the Lagos State Social Welfare Department under the MYSSD, located at the Coker/Aguda Local Council in Surulere. A visit to Miss Ike at the private school she attended in Surulere revealed the emotional and psychological scars she was already suffering while in Junior School 2.
"She has been in the school since JS1 but she does not really open up to anyone in school. Most of the time, she is withdrawn and very fearful. One other thing we have noticed is she has eye problem. Since her father is the only person who comes to the school we've mentioned these to him. We know she has a mother but she has never come once," said the school's coordinator, who identified herself as Nkap.
The next day, two welfare officers from the welfare department obtained an Emergency Protection Order from the Chief Magistrate of the family court at Surulere, E. B. Daodu, who ordered the evacuation of Miss Ike "from the custody of her biological father and provide accommodation for her" at a government centre in the state.
The rescue
That same evening of November 19, the welfare officers together with police officers from the Ijeshatedo Police station evacuated Miss Ike from her home. It was while arresting her father for defilement that her mother found out for the first time the incest that had been ongoing for over a year.
"What would happen is he would send his wife to go and meet her relatives while he would abuse this little girl. Sometimes she would even be in the room when he abuses her. But she would just be snoring away, like as though drugged, while he would threaten the little girl not to shout," said Chigoziri Ojiaka, FIDA's Lagos State branch chairperson.
When our source spoke to Mrs. Ike, she said "We have been married for 13 years and she (Miss Ike) is our first child. She is 12 years. I never knew what was going on and she never told me. We are close so I don't know why she didn't tell me." Further questions, however, revealed that she was not close to her mother as she didn't even know her daughter's menstrual cycle and couldn't give any justifiable reason why she never checked up on her daughter's performance in school.
While being questioned by Police officers of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yaba, where his case was transferred for onward prosecution, Mr. Ike confessed to the crime. He was quick to put the blame on the proverbial scapegoat for all sin committed - the devil.
"Yes, she is my biological daughter. It is true I did it but it is the devil's work. I don't know what came over me. I am ashamed. I couldn't control myself. It is the devil. Please I am sorry. I can only ask God for forgiveness," Mr. Ike said.
A call for professionalism
One strong indication from Miss Ike's case is the synergy exhibited between the public, civil society organisations and government establishments in realising a successful operation leading to Miss Ike's rescue and the arrest of her father.
However, much needs to be done in educating and training the right personnel on imperatives in handling victims of segxwal violence especially minors. In Miss Ike's case, she was taken to several offices and made to recount her story several times. This led to more officers telling other colleagues who then came asking her more questions on her ordeal. Also noticed was the profanity being used by the police officers in the presence of the 12-year-old child.
According to Folake Bankole, Media Concern's victim advocate, who has monitored the case from the onset, such unprofessional conduct could lead to the victim suffering more trauma.
"Yes, the police need to interview the victim. But it is important who is doing the interview. The victim should not be made to recount the ordeal over and over because this will not help the victim who is in the process of healing," says Ms. Bankole.
"Also it is not just anybody and anywhere this should be done. It also matters how the questions are asked so as not to send the wrong signals to the victim which might make him/her guilty. Dealing with victims is a very technical process which belongs to professionals only."
A happier ending
For Miss Ike, she's happier at the Social welfare office as she says she doesn't have to fear going home and being abused any longer. She has begun making new friends at the state's welfare home and holds on to her dream of becoming a lawyer, as she says she wants to grow up to help other people just as she was helped.
"I don't want to go back. I am happy here because I can study my books," the little girl said as she held the hand of the female welfare officer who took her to the government official bus en route to her new home.
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