Lagos Govt. records 300 sexual, domestic violence cases monthly

The Lagos State Government through its Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), has disclosed a surge in the number of domestic and sexual violence cases reported monthly, saying we now attend to 300 new cases monthly.

It attributed the surge in the number of reported cases across the state to an increase in the awareness level and Lagosians’ willingness to break the culture of silence that had affected the reportage of cases over the years.

The government added that over 6,333 survivors have benefited from the services provided by DSVA in the past decade.

The Executive Director, DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, disclosed this on Wednesday, during a stakeholders engagement meeting tagged ‘Are We Doing Enough? organized to review the advancement made by the agency in the past decade of its advocacy.

According to Vivour-Adeniyi, the surge in the number of formal and informal reported cases is driven by the confidence Lagosians have in the support services available in the state, and this made them speak out and break the culture of silence surrounding SGBV.

“The issue of domestic and sexual violence are crimes perpetrated behind closed doors which violate the fundamental rights of individuals and efforts must be geared towards breaking the culture of silence and creating a safe and supportive environment for survivors” She added.

The executive secretary also highlighted that in the last ten years, the state government has continued to demonstrate its commitment to combating all forms of SGBV through the enactment of laws, policies, and the creation of institutions.

Speaking further, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Department Services) University of Lagos, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, said that in the last 10 years, the agency has evolved and delivered on its mandate to protect the vulnerable particularly women and children who are being abused.

Atsenuwa, who highlighted the initiative introduced by the agency to tackle and protect SGBV survivors, commended the state government’s approach to addressing the issue.

However, she stressed the importance of sustaining the system through government and public collaboration and capacity building.

While addressing the challenges surrounding SGBV, Deputy Director, Public Prosecution, Adenike Oluwafemi, advocated for police training on investigative planning.

Oluwafemi revealed that 60 percent of reported SGBV cases received no feedback from the law enforcement agency.

“Effectiveness of investigation prosecution can not be effective if the investigation is faulty” she added.

Panelists who attended the event commended the state’s effort but also emphasized the need for increased funding and logistics to support stakeholders in conducting thorough investigations.

They also advocated for localized activities to increase public awareness and community-led accountability methods to combat domestic and sexual violence across the state.