The Blind and Rape Experiences in Oyo state

Despite the widespread evil of rape perpetrated against minors, mothers and grandmother's in Nigeria, a new list has been added to the victims of rape in Nigeria: these are the visually impaired commonly called 'the blind'. ‎Rape has added a new dimension to the many challenges the visually impaired are confronted with in the country. The visually impaired are those whose eyes deviate from the norm in structure and function. Accordingly, there are three types of visual impairment. It includes the blind, partially blind and those who experience low vision. Persons suffering from any of these visual impairment types tend to face social, economic, academic, recreational and technological impediment because of their special status. Amid all the challenges, it has been observed that the visually impaired are also confronted with sexual abuses, which mostly go unreported.

The facts and figures of sexual harassment and abuse often exclude the blind people in Nigeria. This is not unconnected with the fact that society pays less attention to this category of persons when it has to do with sexual abuse and also because many of them also prefer to keep tales of sexual abuse clandestine in order to avoid social stigma.

In a recent research, I conducted around the city of Ibadan to check the prevalence and plight of the blind/impaired young Nigerians who have been sexually abused, I discovered that many blind persons are victims of sexual abuse. Again, due to social stigma, many refused to let out their experiences of but few were willing to talk.

Tomi(not real name) is one of those few persons who narrated her experience. She did this so that the necessary governmental institutions can take bold steps to protect the visually impaired people in the society. Her story is a pathetic one. Although she was not born blind, she began suffering from a visual illness on a day she went out with a friend and an insect entered into her eyes. After repeated visits to traditional homes, her sight grew worse and the lack of proper medical care aggravated her sight condition. An unprofessional operation carried out on her degenerated her condition. Her family, less bothered about her care and more concerned with a way to ease off her burden, pressured her to befriend a young business man who had taken particular interest in her. Tomi was raped by the man and as she claimed, was only lucky she did not get pregnant.

Bisola(not real name) is eighteen years.Her story isn't so different from Tomi's. She was raped by her boyfriend. According to her, he (boyfriend) had been a most supportive and understanding friend. She is not happy about the act and wishes that he be punished but she has kept the rape secret to prevent her boyfriend from being punished.

It would seem that only females are predisposed to sexual abuse but Tobi's story proves that a blind man is also at risk of sexual abuse. Regardless of the gender, all blind people are vulnerable. Tobi was pressured into having sex with a woman friend over the night. According to him, he refused but the woman persisted and since as a blind person, he could not find his way around in the not-too-conversant environment, he had to give in. He suffers trauma from the event, and an even greater one, for disappointing his mother who has been his pillar of strength.

How many cases of sexual abuse are reported by the visually impaired in Nigeria? The National Women leader of the National Association of the Blind attests to few reported cases that were never prosecuted for lack of evidence and grave denial by the accused persons. The very few ones who were bold enough to admit being abused had no concrete evidence that is tenable at the law courts. It is also the case that blind persons are mostly abused by family members, friends and caregivers and like Tobi's story there is always the tie that succumbs the blind persons to silence. In spite of the vulnerability of the visually impaired young persons, The Nigerian Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired takes up reported cases of abuse. The body reports such cases to the Women Affairs Ministry in the respective states before involving the police for investigation. The way to dress decently, have relations with members of the opposite sex and address issues of harassment are some of the life-lessons that the association gives its young members to prevent them from abuse. Some volunteer non-governmental organisations/groups are also committed to fighting the cause of the less-privileged. Pastor Marcus, is a member of the Oyo State child protection network. As a child's right protection volunteer, he is predisposed and available to bringing to the recognition of relevant state institutions and parastatals cases of abused children. According to him, families of the physically impaired do not follow such cases through for fear of attacks and discrimination by the society. Such impediments make it difficult for those who sexually abuse these groups of vulnerable people to face the wrath of the law, even when committed bodies like the Oyo State Child protection network take up such cases.

The Visually Impaired ones are already going through segregation in the society. They have special schools, special teachers and caregivers as well as specialized facilities to aid their growth. Nothing specifies that they are special in cases of abuse. It behooves of the government to recognize them as people who deserve special attention in full consideration with their vulnerabilities. According to Mr. Femi Ojeniyi, some of the challenges the visually impaired face in Nigeria include problems of employment and lack of accessible education materials. According to him, the situation is grave because “no law is set apart in the Nigerian 1999 constitution for clusters of disability.” For that, the physically challenged persons, and particularly the visually impaired ones are prone to abuse for lack of laws to that will protect this category of individuals. If the Nigerian government pays more attention to protecting the physically challenged from all forms of abuse and rape and punish offenders, the incidence of rape will be reduced to the bearest minimum.

Oluwatoyin Adepoju, Splash fm, Ibadan