Disability rights advocate Chris Agbo has called for accessible reporting centres, sign language interpreters and stronger institutional support to improve access to justice for persons with disabilities who experience sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Agbo, chairman of the National Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities, made the call in an interview with reporters on Wednesday.
He said persons with visual, hearing, intellectual and physical disabilities faced various forms of abuse, including economic exploitation, verbal harassment and sexual violence, partly because of societal perceptions of their vulnerability.
He identified inaccessible Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), police stations and other reporting facilities, as well as communication barriers, as major obstacles to reporting abuse.
According to him, the absence of sign language interpreters at many reporting centres and police stations makes it difficult for deaf survivors to describe their experiences and seek assistance.
He said these challenges often discouraged survivors from reporting abuse or pursuing justice.
Agbo also cited family pressure and stigma as factors that prevented victims from reporting incidents. Some relatives, he said, discouraged them from pursuing cases for fear of further stigmatisation.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators were caregivers or relatives expected to protect persons with disabilities, making it difficult for victims to seek help or report abuse.
To address these challenges, Agbo called on organisations to develop and implement disability policies to guide their engagement with persons with disabilities and ensure access to inclusive services.
He also urged the public and law enforcement agencies to take reports of sexual violence against persons with disabilities seriously, rather than dismissing survivors’ accounts based on misconceptions.
Agbo said some survivors faced disbelief when reporting sexual violence. He cited cases in which women with disabilities were questioned about their attractiveness to perpetrators instead of having their allegations investigated.
“People should believe their stories when they tell their stories,” he said.
He urged the police and other relevant institutions to provide appropriate support and ensure survivors could pursue their cases without discrimination.
Agbo said effective access to justice was essential to preventing and addressing SGBV against women and girls with disabilities.
