A victim of Gender Based Violence in Akwa Ibom State, Angela(other names withheld) has narrated how she and her step sister were repeatedly raped by their biological father.
She added that she could not do much to stop her father from the abominable act due to threats from him and fear of how the society would see them.
Angela narrated her ordeal on weeken in Mbiaso Community, Ikot Ekpene local council of the the State during a household discussions on Issues of Gender Based Violence and enlightenment on Sexual Reproductive Health Right which was sponsored by Amplify Change and executed by CENGOS in collaboration with CIRDOC.
Angela now Eighteen and mother of one told the community educators that her father started raping her at the age of thirteen as her biological mother had died when she was younger adding that when she could no longer bear the abuse she ran away from home to live with her elder sister who works as a sales girl in a restaurant.
According to her, “I am living with my sister now who is a sales girl. My father had threatened to kill me any day I will tell somebody what he was doing to me.
“Actually, it started when I was thirteen years old. By then we had already lost our mother and my father was the one taking care of us. But later on he started raping me. He seriously warned me never to open up to anyone.
But at a point I couldn’t bear the pains and I decided to run away from home to my elder sister’s house who was just a sale’s girl at a restaurant.
By then I was already pregnant and i told my sister my ordeal. My father became very annoyed with me for exposing him and he stopped giving me anything.
“I later gave birth to the baby and life has been a hell to me because I barely feed myself and my baby. My father disowned me and then I dropped out of school in my 2nd term in JSS3 without writing my junior WAEC.
“After the incident I had a couple of relationships with two partners at different times but all failed due to excessive battering and abuse I experienced.
“When family members knew what my father was doing to me, one of my step sisters at a point walked up to me and told me that our father was sleeping with her too but she was so scared to tell anyone even her mother”
Asked if they have reported the matter to relevant agencies especially the police, she answered, “yes there was a time, its been long, my father was arrested by the police but he later came out. I don’t even know how to go about it or where to report the matter to, I am just praying that God will help.”
However, the community educators after the household discussions directed her to CENGOs office in the local government for necessary attention and onward referrals.
