Mrs Betsy Obaseki, the First Lady of Edo State, said indecent dressing could not be a reason for the rise in rape cases in the country, adding that indecent dressing was a relative term that varied from country to country.
On Wednesday, at a news conference organized by the Edo State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, Obaseki said it was illogical to blame rape incidents on the victims’ attire.
She believes that this type of thinking is hazardous because it tends to shame the victims rather than bringing the rapists to justice.
She pointed out that the rape of a seven-year-old girl by Michael Ugwuke, 54, who was sentenced to 14 years in jail on Friday, demonstrated that rape could not be linked to indecent dressing.
She stated, “How possible is it for anyone to say that indecent dressing is the cause of rape in the society? What is termed indecent dressing is relative, and differs from country to country. That line of thought is a way to blame rape victims, instead of the rapists.
“The case of a young girl who was raped by a 54-year-old man, Michael Ugwuke, shows that the way ladies dress has nothing to do with why they are attacked by sexual predators.”
She stated that the state administration was prepared to fight rapists and ensure that they were prosecuted.
“We are going to arrest anyone connected with rape, no matter how highly placed. Those who try to cover up these offenders will also be prosecuted. We have resolved in the state to bring offenders to book and pursue all the cases in court to a logical conclusion,” Obaseki added.
Comrade Philip Shaibu, the state’s deputy governor, said the state administration was prepared to cleanse the state of sexual predators and urged victims to submit cases to the relevant authorities.
