ABSTRACT

Rape is a serious offence against humanity at large and women in particular, but rape of minors is a horror. It is very irritating to hear a news of a male adult raping a baby of few months old. However, nothing goes for nothing as the research has identified many reasons for such atrocious act against children in Nigeria which include; the mishandling of rape cases which seems as if the laws are protecting the rape offenders more than the rape victims, lack of reports of rape cases among other reasons. The effects of child rape according the findings are that many rape victims suffer shame and stigmatization, serious emotional traumas, sexual dysfunction among others which leave indelible marks on the lives of  the child. However, the researcher is quite optimistic that if the recommendations made in this study are followed such as reporting rape cases to the appropriate quarters, and laws handling rape cases adequately among other points, that the dust of child rape shall settle