Court of Appeal’s Rape Acquittal Sparks Outrage as CSOs Demand Supreme Court Appeal

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have expressed outrage over the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the rape conviction of Lagos-based doctor, Femi Olaleye.

The groups have called on the Lagos State Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, to appeal the judgement at the Supreme Court.

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Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, founder of Project Alert, condemned the appeal court’s decision, stating, “It is our position that to maintain the mental sanity of the victim, the families of the victim and the members of the various organisations mentioned herein, it will be fair, just and in accordance with sound reasoning to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal.”

The CSOs, which include Mirabel Centre, Cece Yara Child Advocacy centre, and Child Protection Network Lagos State, among others, argued that the appeal court’s judgement would embolden perpetrators of sexual violence and send the wrong message about the seriousness with which sexual offences are handled.

They urged the Lagos State Attorney-General to “take immediate and necessary steps to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court, so that the case may be thoroughly adjudicated, and justice may be duly served.”