A Boost to the Fight against Sexual Assault

Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that the recent patronage by The Duchess of Cornwall, conferred on Mirabel Centre, Nigeria’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which provides succor and a safe place to survivors, was a huge boost to the hydra headed monster of sexual assault and rape, including those targeted at minors

“I am delighted to become Patron of the Mirabel Centre in Lagos. It is a truly trailblazing organisation, supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault as they seek healing and justice. Their vital work means that women need no longer suffer in silence and I am deeply grateful to all Mirabel’s wonderful staff and volunteers.”

The above statement was issued by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall after she assumed patronage of Mirabel Centre, a one-stop service center that provides timely and professional services free of charge to survivors of rape and sexual assault.

The Duchess of Cornwall is a member of the British Royal Family by marriage. Married to the HRH Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne, her charity work varies across several themes including health, literacy, supporting those in need; victims of rape and sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Partnership Mileston

After the announcement of the Duchess of Cornwall as Patron of the Mirabel Centre, the UK Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn – Jones, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Mirabel Centre, which according to the centre, marked an important moment for Nigeria’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

For Mirabel Centre Ambassador, Queen Ubah, the patronage marks such an important milestone in its history of the centre. According to her, “the centre has come a long way from being the sole centre in Nigeria providing support services to survivors of rape, to having another centre in the North West, the Nana Khadija Centre.

“As I look back I am truly proud to be associated with such impactful work. Gender-based violence is an epidemic in our society and it takes the bold and courageous to do something about it.

“The Mirabel Centre is doing its part and it so deserving of the global attention the work is now getting. We all have a responsibility to end gender-based violence in our homes and spaces.
My hope is, that this new patronage opens up the opportunity for more and stronger support of survivors.”

In her opening remarks at the occasion, Board Chair, Partnership for Justice, managers of the Mirabel Centre, Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, thanked all partners for their support over the years including the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) which has continuously partnered Mirabel Centre in providing support services to survivors of sexual violence.

Leap of Faith

For Founder, Mirabel Centre, Itoro Eze-Anaba, it was a leap of faith that established the refuge home eight years ago. According to her, “eight years ago, I took a leap of faith. Despite the challenges and the pressure to change focus, I knew I could not fail that 14 year old girl who told me in 2003 how her father had been raping her since the age of 11. All she needed was someone to believe her, a place where she could tell her story and be treated with dignity. ⁣⁣
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“It took 10 years to get the funds and on July 1, 2013, Mirabel Centre, the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Nigeria, was born. It has been a long journey but Mirabel Centre has shown that it can be done, with the support of dedicated, committed and passionate staff and volunteers. ⁣⁣
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“The story of Mirabel Centre cannot be told without mentioning the support from Bob Arnot of Justice for All, a programme of DFID and British Council for the confidence and trust in us when others denied us needed funds because setting up such a centre had never been done in Nigeria. ⁣⁣
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“Our survivors have made it worthwhile. They are courageously telling their stories, seeking help and breaking barriers! We believe you!!! You are not alone. The Mirabel Centre will continue to provide free professional care and support to survivors of rape and sexual violence irrespective of when the incident happened. That is my pledge!

“It is an honour to welcome HRH The Duchess of Cornwall as our first Patron. We are pleased that the Duchess has agreed to be our patron. We have followed her work with charities working in the sexual and gender-based violence space and have seen how passionate and committed The Duchess is towards providing support for survivors.

“Indeed, this announcement is timely considering the devastating nature of sexual violence and the increased advocacy for survivor support services which has led to an increase in the number of survivors who require the services of the centre.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic has further revealed the endemic nature of sexual violence. We have seen a huge number of children and women coming forward to report cases of sexual assault and rape. Our youngest survivor is a three-month-old baby and the oldest, an 80-year-old woman. We are confident that the support of The Duchess will make a difference.”

UK’s Commendation

Speaking also, the UK’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing CB said: “I am absolutely delighted that HRH The Duchess of Cornwall has agreed to become Patron of the Mirabel Centre in Lagos Nigeria.

” In this role, she will help showcase the essential work the Mirabel Centre does to support sufferers of sexual assault and domestic abuse. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall has been a long-standing supporter of women who have suffered from these crimes. Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) is a global epidemic ravaging all levels of society, and one of the most prevalent and devastating human rights violations.

” It cuts across all social, national, economic boundaries and, sadly, remains largely unreported due to the stigma and shame too often associated with survivors, and the impunity too often enjoyed by the perpetrators.

“The Mirabel Centre is the first of its kind to provide holistic and high quality psychosocial and medical services to these survivors in Nigeria, and this patronage will no doubt help to ensure safe and continued support to sexual assault survivors, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. This will complement the UK Government’s other partnerships in Nigeria to tackle SGBV.”

Mirabel Centre

Located in a modest two-room building within the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in the heart of the city, Mirabel Centre is currently expanding its residence to make adequate room to serve survivors of sexual violence promptly.

The Mirabel Centre is the first of its kind to provide holistic and high quality psychosocial and medical services to these survivors in Nigeria, and this patronage will no doubt help to ensure safe and continued support to sexual assault survivors, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Founded in July 1, 2013 by Itoro Eze-Anaba, the Mirabel Centre has ensured survivors who have recently or in the past been sexually assaulted can access free post-incident support services at the centre.

In the last eight years, the Mirabel Centre has provided free medical and psychosocial support services to over 6,569 survivors (including persons with disabilities) as the centre provides services to different clients including children, girls, boys and women. The youngest client at the centre is a three-month-old baby and the oldest is an 80-year-old grandma.

Foundation

But how did Mirabel Centre start? According to reports, it all began sometime in 2001 when a young girl in her 20s walked into the office of Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) and reported a case of domestic violence. She was referred to Itoro Eze-Anaba, who was then the Programmes Director and Coordinator of the Women’s Programme.

On realising that there was no law that protected women from domestic violence, she initiated the Domestic Violence Bill project, under which she drafted the first Domestic Violence Bill in Nigeria and engaged in advocacy campaign for its passage into law at the National Assembly and in 12 states in Nigeria.

In the course of campaigning for the passage of this bill into law in 2003, she came across a young girl, a teenager, who told her a story that changed the course of her career. The teenager narrated how her father had been raping her for years, and was asked not to speak about it by her religious leader when she tried to get help. Shocked by the story, she carried out a brief research and discovered that many young girls were being sexually abused in their homes by people known to them. There was no safe place for reporting or receiving treatment for such abuses in Nigeria.

About the same time, Ms Eze-Anaba was privileged to attend a seminar funded by the British Council in Manchester, UK, on Violence Against Women and one of the side events was a visit to St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which provides care and support to survivors of rape and sexual violence.

She came back to Nigeria, determined to open a similar centre in Nigeria. 10 years later, Justice for All (J4A), a project of British Council under the Department for International Development (DFID) provided the funds for the establishment of the Centre. On July 1, 2013, Mirabel Centre, the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Nigeria, opened its doors to the public.

Services Offered

The centre carries out medical examination and treatment by trained forensic examiners for illness and injuries caused by the assault; counsels (face to face and by telephone) to help cope with emotional and psychological effects of rape; help in reporting the matter to the police; provides information on the legal system; provides referral to other agencies for help not provided by the Centre; and provides pregnancy tests and other tests associated with rape, as well as medication and drugs.

They also refund of clients’ transportation costs to the centre in selected cases; provide change of clothing for some; bears the cost of tests not done provided by the centre and makes referral to other agencies/organisations for follow up services not available at the centre; provides medical reports for clients on referral from the police which aids in the investigation and subsequent prosecution of perpetrators

All these are done by specially trained professionals who underwent an intensive two- week free training on forensic medical examination for sexual abuse victims and were also trained as sexual abuse counselors to provide psycho social support to victims of abuse. These training sessions were carried out by experienced experts from the St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester, UK.

They are also equipped with skills to carry out intensive head to toe examination of clients while looking out for injuries while maintaining confidentiality and respecting the clients’ choices.