Rivers teachers raped 50 pupils in four months, says FIDA

In Rivers State, the International Federation of Women Lawyers has voiced concerns about an increase in incidences of instructors sexually assaulting their students.

Adata Bio-Briggs, the Chairperson of FIDA in Rivers State, told journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital, that over 50 incidents of instructors defiling their kids had been recorded and sent to court between January and April 2022.

She added some of the recent cases were reported in the states of Ahoada, Elelenwo, and Rumuokuta, while praising the police for swiftly prosecuting many of the cases, which she termed as discouraging.

“We have a lot of youngsters that have been defiled by their caregivers and professors, which is tragic and disappointing. We currently have a case from Ahoada involving a seven-year-old girl who has been defiled by her teacher. We have another case of a child who was similarly defiled by her teacher someplace in Elelenwo.

“We have another one in Rumuokuta, where the teacher defiled the youngster as well. As a result, there have been several instances of teachers defiling those to whom they are expected to provide care. We’ve had over 50 defilement concerns this year alone. The FIDA chairperson stated that “all cases of children being defiled by their teachers have been charged to court.”

She, however, said FIDA was faced with the challenge of obstruction of prosecution processes by family members of victims.