Many Nigerians have advocated for the termination of a foetus conceived through rape.
Nigerians noted that, as ‘traumatic as rape is,’ a victim should not be allowed to bear the brunt of the rapist by carrying an ”unwanted pregnancy.”
In a series of comments on X on Friday, they mentioned that a child born out of rape would be a constant reminder of the incident to the victim.
The comments come amid the raising spate of rape and sexual violence in the country.
In recent times, Nigeria has seen an upsurge of sexual violence against women and men.
This week, a 15-year-old boy bludgeoned and raped his 14-year-old neighbour to coma.
Also, the Plateau State Police Command on Friday, paraded a 16-year-old boy who confessed to sexually assaulting his neighbour’s three underaged daughters.
Aged 6, 9, and 12, the children were constantly sexually assaulted by their neighbour.
However, with the upsurge in sexual violence incidents comes its attendant consequences.
While many are forced to live with the trauma for the rest of their lives, others end up pregnant as a result of the incident.
”One of the most painful aftermaths of rape is the one where the woman is made pregnant and made to carry the child of her rapist for nine months,” D. Mojisayo said in a statement on X.
”There is a possibility of this happening when a woman is raped and we have rape apologists? You support evil; your reward is in hell,” she added.
An X user, simply identified as Omega, mentioned that ”no woman should continue to carry the scar of her traumatic past for the rest of her life. How then would she heal, if at all she will eventually?
”Hospitals should take rape victims very seriously and help flush the rapist semen from the woman.”
However, Solomon Buchi, a popular social media influencer, opined that ”a child conceived through rape is not less worthy of life than children conceived through consensual sex.”
He also mentioned that ”aborting babies conceived through rape is another trampling of basic human rights. Every child deserves the right to live. Every child.”
Furthermore, he mentions that ”the best we can do is offer standard support to pregnant rape victims.”.
”Flushing out the semen before fertilisation is a good option, but if fertilisation has occurred, it becomes a deeply immoral decision to kill that baby.”
Reacting to Buchi’s statement, Oluwafumilayo stated, ”Please, rape is a very traumatic experience. No one deserves to go through that, not to mention having a child that reminds you of your trauma. She can always delete it if she doesn’t want it.
”This is one of the reasons why people are seeking for abortion to be legalized. Imagine a 16-year-old being allowed to carry a trauma like that. It’s too heavy for anyone.”
”No woman should even be allowed to conceive a rapist’s child. Immediately it’s possible she should be helped with emergency contraception to prevent that,” another X user, Soji, opined.
Mosco mentioned that ”It messes you up emotionally, and you hate yourself every day even if you had little to no say in how or why it happened.”
”You give birth to the child, and you might tend to have a disgust for them. The trauma never fully leaves, and now you have a constant reminder.”
For Ningen, ”That child will suffer a lot of rejection if they’re born. It’s best to give them out for adoption and hopefully never tell them the circumstances of their birth. No one wants to know that not only were they unwanted but born out of the worst crime against the human body.”
Below are more mixed reactions of Nigerians to the issue, with many advocating for the termination of the foetus.
Pato, ”Igbos say when the corpse of another man is being carried around, to no relatives or loved ones, it looks like a log of wood.
”Imagine for a minute (God forbid) your wife, daughter, or sister is brutally raped and pregnancy results from it, will you still maintain this very rigid stance?
”Rape is traumatic, and the woman should have the right to determine what becomes of the outcome of that horrific experience. At least within the first trimester of the pregnancy.
”Depriving her of the right to decide, at least, within the first trimester is taking away her very basic right as a human.”
Matrix, ”So you want the woman to carry the seed of a man that caused her trauma, that cost her education and other opportunities of life, then people will label the child bad name when there is a little misunderstanding amongst them.”
UD destiny, ”Where the Bible is silent, we should apply wisdom. Where the Bible is neutral, we should seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
Fromage Doux, ”The option to keep the pregnancy or not should be the victim’s. Whilst I agree that it is still a child if carried to term, doesn’t mean the victim has to. All this compassion you have for an imaginary child but none for the victim of the crime?”
Jessica, ”It’s not this easy. Do you know how it feels to have a child that constantly reminds you of your trauma?
”A scar that will never heal. It’s even going to be traumatising for the child as well, because people will always talk. Rape victims should undergo flushing.”
Nancy, ”Imagine being brought to the world as a ‘consequence.’
”Imagine being a child of parents unable to love you because you remind them of the worst trauma they’ve faced.
”Imagine being that child constantly told, If not for your useless father.”
Blissful: ”Truth be told, it’s painful having to raise a child born out of rape. Such a person must be really mature and have the capacity to love and forgive.
”Nonetheless, after a rape, flushing should be the first step to avoid pregnancy. If not, abortion is killing.”
Anne, “Every child deserves the right to live. Every child.” I agree, including the rape victim. Living is having a choice to do what’s best for you. A foetus is not a child. The only child here whose rights are being trampled on is the victim.
Cynthia Okonkwo, ”So that the woman will live with forever reminders of her trauma? Why will they even let it get to abortion?
”Every rape victim should be rushed to the hospital to receive emergency contraceptives and placed on postexposure prophylaxis. It should never get to the point of abortion.”
Eniola Rowell, ”I do not agree with not aborting babies conceived through rape. It’s also a trampling of the victim’s basic human right too. The trauma and the fact that you are stuck with a child you never wanted. Before it develops into an embryo, you can terminate it!”
Habib Saliu, ”Whereas I hate women who think the life of a child is a flimsy thing that they can just fling anyhow, in this case, you can’t make a woman do this. Remove that thing from inside her. This is the equivalent of gestating an alien baby. I wouldn’t wish it on the devil.”
