Sexual Harassment Victims Are Not Responsible For The Abuse – Osinbajo

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Sexual Harassment Victims Are Not Responsible For The Abuse – Osinbajo

The notion that victims or potential victims of sexual harassment are architects of their fate especially by their attitude, dressing or willingness to be in a compromising place with their violators is wrong and should be resisted in every situation.

The victim must always be seen as the victim and not to be blamed.

This was the view of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, in his contributions on Wednesday at a webinar on Anti-Sexual Harassment themed “Finding Safe Spaces for Female Students in Nigerian Universities”, organized by the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.

The event was based on the book authored by notable journalist and former presidential spokesman, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, titled NAKED ABUSE: SEX FOR GRADES IN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES.

According to him,

“the victim must always be seen as the victim. There cannot be an excuse, especially given the power configuration between students and lecturers, that the victim could have somehow invited the abuse upon themselves. I think it is an important consideration to be made and we must not allow that notion to persist.”

Advocating stricter punishments for rape offenders especially in situations involving lecturers and their female students, Prof.

Osinbajo said “there cannot be an excuse especially given the power configuration between students and lecturers that the victim could have somehow invited the abuse upon themselves.

I think it is an important consideration to be made and we must not allow that notion to persist.”