Major Superiors in Nigeria Push for “an active protective policy” to Safeguard Minors

“Following in the footsteps our Holy Father, Pope Francis, we acknowledge the sufferings of those who are victims of sexual abuse, abuse of power and abuse of conscience, especially abuse of minors and vulnerable adults,” said Fr. Nonso in an interview on Sunday, January 19.

Fr. Nonso who doubles as the Communications Director of Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy (SMMM), a congregation of Catholic priests based in Umuahia, expressed concern that clerics were also perpetrators of abuse against minors and vulnerable people, a matter that was included in CSMSN’s communique.

“We painfully note that some of these abuses were perpetrated by some clerics, consecrated persons and those entrusted with the responsibility of watching over and caring for the vulnerable,” the participants in the Joint Conference stated and added, “While we condemn the atrocities, we began to seek ways of ensuring that the society is rid of the evil. Thus, the inspiration for the theme of this Conference came into consciousness.”

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports indicate that one in four girls and one in ten boys in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18.  According to UNICEF, six out of 10 children in Nigeria experience emotional, physical or sexual abuse before the age of 18, with half experiencing physical violence.

Additionally, recent studies published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) indicate that the prevalence of child sexual abuse was 25 percent. Only 34 percent of these cases ever disclosed the abuse. These are startling figures compared to global statistics where prevalence of child sexual abuse is as low as 5 per cent.

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The worrying trend notwithstanding, the Nigerian government does not have a specific national plan focused on sexual exploitation of children.

The CBCN’s “Guidelines for Processing Cases of Sexual Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults” was developed in 2017 “to forestall the abuse of Minors and vulnerable adults.” According to information provided by CBCN, “Every diocese, every priest must be accountable by striving to live up to the integrity of the Catholic Priesthood.”

At their 2020 conference, the religious men and women in Nigeria called for the prosecution of perpetrators of child abuse, underscoring the need to maintain healthy social boundaries.

“Perpetrators of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults should be prosecuted. Every conspiracy of silence and secrecy must be eschewed,” the nuns and priests highlighted in their collective statement.

They also called for sensitization progammes and workshops for the young people on issues of abuse, migration and fundamentalism at all relevant levels of Church and society.

Over 300 religious men and women participated in the January 12-18 conference that the Major Superiors of Nigeria lauded as having served as a uniting platform “under which all the institutes of consecrated life in Nigeria have found a shade.”

“It is the think tank of the congregations where the Major Superiors come together to exchange ideas about concrete challenges they face in the administration of their various congregations,” Fr. Nonso told ACI Africa and further explained, “This Conferences also run various projects by which they reach out better to the Nigerian society and beyond for more expanded and extended evangelization.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.