The Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed a bill which mandates every hospital, both private and government-owned, in the state to compulsorily accept for adequate treatment, any child who is a victim of sexual violence. The bill which is titled ‘Compulsory Treatment and Care for Child Victims of Sexual Violence Bill, 2020’ was passed on Tuesday at a sitting of the house in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. According to the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, this bill, when signed into law, will make Ekiti State the first state in Nigeria to enact legislation that specifically enforces compulsory medical treatment for child victims of sexual violence. According to a statement issued by the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice on this development, the Attorney General welcomed the prompt enactment of the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Child Victims of Sexual Violence Bill. He said: “This is in furtherance of the Fayemi Administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy for Sexual Violence Against Children.

Source: Nigerian Tribune June 03, 2020 10:30 UTC