The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has stated the need for survivors of domestic and sexual violence to receive psychosocial and counselling support in order to be integrated into society.

The CJ made the call, according to a statement on Thursday, during a two-day training organised for judges and magistrates on best practices to tackle domestic and sexual violence in Lagos.

Alogba said, “There is a need for aggressive sensitisation against the social stigmatisation of victims, provisions of psychosocial support services, and facilitation of support group counselling for survivors that would further boost their confidence and integration into society.

“There is also the need for intensive training for stakeholders to tackle the sexual and gender-based violence cases through a hands-on holistic approach, particularly regarding the protection of witnesses in court. The government should provide technology gadgets to interview or collect witness statements either virtually or physically.”

The Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Titilayo ShittaBey, urged legal practitioners to factor in the psychological state of survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

“The menace of sexual and gender-based violence required a holistic collaborative effort as survivors deserve to be treated delicately and with empathy at all stages of the criminal process taking into cognisance their traumatic and psychological state,” she said.

On her part, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, noted that the training was crucial as sexual and gender-based violence had been on the rise and expressed hope that the sensitisation provide easy access to justice and faster delivery to survivors.

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