Kafanchan sexual assault referral centre records 3,977 cases: Official

The Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Kafanchan, Kaduna State recorded 3,977 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases since its inception in 2019. The Director of the centre, Grace Abbin, made this known in a statement released on Thursday, August 29, 2024, in Kaduna. She stated that women and girls were the most affected with 3,434 cases, with 543 men and boys affected in Zone III which comprised eight local government areas. Mrs Abbin noted that 429 cases were of sexual assault on children and adults, while 3,548 cases were psychological or emotional and physical violence cases. While breaking down the statistics, Abbin said the centre recorded and treated 219 cases in 2019, 582 cases in 2020, 1009 in 2021 and 788 cases in 2022. She added that 822 cases were recorded and treated in 2023, while 557 cases were recorded from January to July 2024. According to her, the culture of silence has been broken, adding that survivors need more support to be able to access justice. The director said that services at the centre are free, consisting of medical treatment, psychosocial counselling, and optional legal intervention, among others. She added, “Through the intervention of Bridge that gap, supported by UNWomen, we were able to engage survivors in Kachia and Kaura local government areas in mental health psychosocial support. “We need more funding to help survivors access justice because lack of funding is making us lose evidence, thereby making justice difficult,” Mrs Abbin said.