Legal Rape { Ongoing } - Documentary Photographer

Legal Rape (Ongoing)

In recent time, numbers of rape victims have increased significantly in Nigeria. According to UNICEF data, 1 in 4 Nigerian girls are sexually assaulted before the age of 18. Many people on their part undermine the emotional trauma experienced by rape victims, and thus become unsympathetic. In some countries like Nigeria, this attitude is majorly due to patriarchal and misogynistic culture: a society where rules are dictated and governed by men, and culture and tradition makes men head over women.

Some of the victims truly suffer uncomfortable memories such as nightmares, flashbacks, suicide thoughts and feelings of guilt. It can also manifest in physical ways, like chronic pain, intestinal problems, muscle cramps, paralyzed vocal cord. With the shameful act increasing day after day in Nigeria, keeping silent about the issue is no longer the way to go and heal for the girls I documented.

Truly, rape victims have some periodic bitter flashbacks, so they usually take steps to heal, but healing seems far for many of them without a proper support system from families, society or agencies. People should join "say no to rape" advocacy since that would go a long way to reduce the number of incidents, address rape as human right violation.

The documentary "Legal Rape" explores the uncomfortable memories of rape victims, violation of their human right and their search for closure, in a society where the mindset of most people as it relates to sexual assault tends to be un-empathetic, unsympathetic and seen as a norm.

AJ 22, My counsellor told me, “surviving rape made me courageous and brave.” But I disagree. I was courageous and brave before somebody raped me."

JT 16, "The police adviced me to seek closure and told my parents to forget pursuing justice against the neighbor that sexually assaulted me. "It’s a waste of government time and fund." Said the police."

BS, 16. "I was raped with a knife on my neck. I still hear his groaning with his saliva on my face whispering triumphantly, “I know you wanted it”. The police told me exact thing because I was wearing a short gown”.

LY 16, " After I was sexually assaulted by a senior school mate, I was told by the school management to pretend it didn’t happen and move on."

AQ 18, I "was dragged into this abandoned building and raped by a stranger. For years, I couldn't tell my parent I was raped. I didn’t want their worlds to be shattered the way mine had been. "

JL, 16,”I and my twin sister were raped by the same person; he threatened to kill me if I tell anybody. I opened up when he raped my sister. I am still leaving with the trauma”.

EG 21, "After I was raped by a male acquentance, people asked, "What did you expect if you were wearing a short skirt? Or alone in the company of a man? Or did you not enjoy it?" I turned to protests and social media callouts to hold the man that raped me accountable."

. FV 17, “The trauma of been raped is shattering, leaving me feeling scared, ashamed, stigmatized and alone”

CR, 18. ”In my society, it is impossible to prove I was raped, the police told me it was up to me to produce a witness”.

TY 20, "I don't want to be referred to as a rape survival, I am a victim of a gruesome crime!!! People should stop trivializing what happen to me. There is no happy ending."

NK, 14, "I was raped by two strangers, everybody told me to get used to it and move on. How do I move on? How do I get used to it? When it appears rape is a norm in my community".

Uc, 16, "After raping me, the young man looked at me in the eyes and smiled. My society buy into the ideas of masculinity that see rape, violence and dominance as male, and when women and girls are less valued"

AD, 15, "I was raped by a gang of friends. They were release for lack of evidence, alone and that's when it starts replaying in my mind. Reliving this story, reliving this trauma."

KT 17, “The classroom where I was raped is dilapidated now, the physical pain and shades of bruises eventually faded, but the impact of my rape never really did”.

Emeke Obanor