Betsy Obaseki, wife of Edo State Governor has intimated that the state government has planned to set up a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in every local government area as the Vivian SARC Centre located in Oredo in Benin City.
Mrs Obaseki, chairperson of the Edo State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, also called on residents of Edo State who had been abused or still being abused, to speak up and bring such cases to the attention of the state government through agencies close to them.
She disclosed the plan to establish SARC by the state government soon after attending the sitting of a Magistrate Court in Benin City to witness the resumed hearing of the case of a 55-years-old Michael Ogboke, standing trial for allegedly defilement of a seven-year-old girl.
Mrs. Obasaki, accompanied to court by the state’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu and his wife, Maryann, pledged the commitment of the government towards ensuring justice for gender-based violence victims, assuring that she would personally follow up every case.
“Today’s case has been adjourned till August 10, and I am going to make time to come here again until we see the end of this case, to serve as a deterrent to people out there.
