Rape: Crossfire over castration law

• ‘It’s Barbaric, Uncivilised’
• ‘It’s Welcome Development, Ordeals Of Rape Victims Better Imagined’
• Without Constitutional Amendment, Kaduna Law Illegal – Lawyers.
• Focus On Social Justice To Prevent Crime, Not Criminal Justice – Sociologists
• ‘Should Be For Those Raping Our Collective Patrimony’

Mixed reactions are trailing the recent law enacted by the Kaduna State Government prescribing castration for rapists in the state.

While the law is receiving knocks in some quarters as being too harsh and undignifying, others, especially commentators on women and children issues as well as gender-rights activists, have described it as “timely and a welcome development.”

This is as some lawyers have contended that the Kaduna State Penal Code (Amendment) Law 2020 is a violation of Nigeria’s constitution, which in Section 34 provides that “every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment,” and also a violation of reproductive health as enshrined in international human right laws that Nigeria has signed and ratified.