The Government of Ekiti State has commenced the public naming and Shaming of convicted sex offenders in the State, as it names Priest who raped a 7-year-old and serving five years in jail.
In a statement released by the state Attorney-General, Olawale Fapohunda on Friday 16th August 2019, said the State has already put in place some practical measures aimed at curbing sexual violence in the State, as they move forward to implement others.
Fapohunda while speaking on the issue of sex offenders in the State, said: “The State government is concerned about the frequency of reported cases of sexual violence. It has, therefore, become necessary to put in place proactive measures to halt this trend. One of these measures include public notification of the status of convicted sex offenders by showing their photographs on Ekiti State Broadcasting Service and announcing their names on Radio Stations in the State”
The office of Attorney- General, Ministry of Justice Ekiti State in a fresh statement released today. said that the state is doing everything possible to curb the menace, and this is one step out of many they are adopting, saying:
“The Ministry of Justice has begun the publication of the names and photographs of convicted sex offenders in the State. We are commencing with a Public Notice on the status of Reverend Asateru Gabriel, a former Anglican priest who was convicted for the Sexual Abuse of a seven-year-old girl. Reverend Gabriel is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in Federal Prisons Ado Ekiti. This publication is in furtherance of the Fayemi administration’s zero-tolerance policy for all forms of violence against Women and Children.” Other additional measures to curb Sexual Violence in the State as announced by Fapohunda include:
i. Pasting the Photographs of convicted sex offenders in prominent public spaces in their communities and their Local Government Headquarters;
ii. Issuing an advisory to the traditional ruler of the sex offender’s community on the status of the offender;
iii. Uploading the Sex Offenders photograph on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
iv. Compulsory psychiatric tests for all Persons of whom the Director of Public Prosecution (D.P.P) has issued ‘a case to answer’ legal opinion for the offence of Child defilement” .