The Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has assented to a new law which prescribes castration and removal of fallopian tube for male and female perpetrators of rape respectively. The law also includes death penalty for convicted child rapists and takes immediate effect in the North Western state.
Announcing the signing of the amendment to the state Penal Code (Amendment) Law 2020, the state government said that Governor Nair El-Rufai signed the law on September 11.
The new law amends the Penal Code Law (No.5) of Kaduna State, 2017, by substituting section 258 to include amendments that prescribe organ removal and death sentence for rapists of minors.
The original law had prescribed a maximum penalty of 21 years imprisonment for the rape of an adult and life imprisonment for the rape of a child.
The new law stated that rapists convicted of violating minors below the age of 14 will be punished with surgical castration or removal of Fallopian tubes, in addition to the death penalty, according to the amended sections.
Rapists convicted of the sexual assault of children will also be listed in the Sex Offenders Register to be published by the Attorney-General of the state.
A corroboration of a medical report shall be necessary in the trial of an accused child rapist, according to the new law.
The rape of anyone above the age of 14 will be punished with surgical castration or removal of Fallopian tubes, and a life imprisonment instead of a death sentence.
According to the amendments, where a child is convicted of rape, the court shall order as appropriate under the Children and Young Person Law Cap 26 Laws of Kaduna State 1991.
Praising members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly for passing the amendments, El-Rufai said the drastic penalties are required to help further protect children from a sexual assault.
Recall that rape and other sex-related crimes have received a great amount of national attention this year following a string of high-profile cases of sexual assault all over the country.
In June, all 36 state governors resolved to declare a state of emergency on rape and other gender-based violence against women and children.
