=== Parents forced to pay N40,000 fine, buy white goat, cartoon of beer.
A Reverend father with the Christ the King Catholic church Odeh village in Anambra, Anambra state , identified as Father Paul Mary Ikwuneme has been alleged to have forcefully raped a three months old pregnant woman.
The woman name withheld said the alleged rape happened when she was working as a cook in Reverend father Ikwuneme house in her village in Odeh Anambra state last November.
Narrating how she was allegedly raped,the woman who stated that she lost her three months old pregnancy after the alleged rape happened added that she has been traumatized, after she was allegedly threatened by Reverend Ikwuneme not to speak about the incident.
She said ,,, This incident happened November last year. That time , I was working as a Nursery 2 teacher. One Mrs. Ogbodo who is a relative told me that I should help do the cooking for Reverend father Ikwuneme. She was his cook but she said she was going for a Women meeting in Onitsha and I should help her with the cooking until she returns. I agreed . I started cooking and it got to when she returned and I told her to take over but she responded that father Ikwuneme said I should continue to cook for him and he will pay me salary. I said okay but he should not pay me. A particular day, I went for the cooking after school, I noticed he had increased the volume of the television. He wore a jean trousser and came into the kitchen where I was cooking. He started touching me seductively. I told him that I am pregnant but he asked me if I was married I told me not yet but my introduction has been done. He went on to ask me about my husband and I told him about him that he is in Lagos. Then he started touching me aggressively. I told him to stop and I ran out to escape from the house but he had locked all the doors. The way the TV was loud, if I shouted, nobody would hear me. I knelt down and started begging him that he should pity me that I'm pregnant. He started laughing and continued to touch me. He removed my gown and my pant and he raped me,,.
Living with trauma.
,,After he raped me, he told me not to tell anyone that if I do, he will punish my family. He said I should know that as a Reverend father, If he says anything, people will believe him so because of that fear, I refused to tell anyone. Two weeks after the rape, I lost my pregnancy. I got married early this year and traveled to my husband house in Lagos. One day, Reverend father Ikwuneme called me that he was coming to Lagos that I should meet him. I declined and that was how I opened up and told my husband everything about how he raped me,,.
Assaulting brother.
Speaking on how the Reverend father Ikwuneme allegedly assaulted his brother, the lady said
,, My step brother did not go to school. He is my younger brother. His mother reported him to Reverend Ikwuneme. What the former Reverend father in our church used to do is that when children don't like attending school, he will buy biscuits, sandals and school bags and share to the children, the day day, the school will be full. Alot of children will start coming. However, when father Ikwuneme was informed that my brother did not come to school, he carried a cane and went to look for him in my father's house. Another of my step brother was sleeping at home as he was ill . Father Ikwuneme met him at home and questioned him. He said he was ill and that was how Reverend Ikwuneme descended on him and started flogging him with the cane. The boy held the cane and asked him why he was flogging him. Father Ikwuneme left angrily out of our house. He met my dad entering our compound. My dad was asking him why he was angry. The next thing we heard was that they called a village meeting on my dad that my dad and my brother beat up father Ikwuneme. The villagers fined my dad N40 000,a white goat and a cartoon of beer as punishment. They told him that If he did not bring the fine, he will be banished. My father had to pay. My husband after hearing what was happening in the village, called Reverend Ikwuneme to ask him what happened but Reverend Ikwuneme started abusing and cursing my husband. He sent text curses messages to him and his children and unborn children,,
Alleged Curse messages from Reverend father Ikwuneme reads ......
,, May God Almighty punish you and your generations and you Children unborn.... Do you think that I am afraid of useless Man like you. Carry microphone to announce to the world, Foolish Man like you, are you not ashamed of yourself, Man who married her grant child,,,
Petitions to Police , Commissioner not attended to, alleged Human rights groups
Following the incidences, the lady petitioned the Anambra state police command and the Commissioner for Woman Affairs In Anambra Stste to get the alleged Reverend Ikwuneme arrested, the petition dated August 26th according to findings has not led to the invitation nor arrest of the Reverend father Ikwuneme.
responding to the allegations, Reverend Ikwuneme said " A RESPONSE TO FALSE ACCUSATION AGAINST ME
I, Fr PaulMary Ikwuneme was accused of raping her which is a false allegation against me.
However, this accusation came as a result of an incident that occured on the 6th of July 2023, between his younger step brother and I. But before the incident occured, Chinenye's husband had already threatening to write such letter against me.
According to Chinenye, his reason is that he cut her while speaking to me on the phone twice having warned her not to call any man or boy on the phone apart from their family members. She pleaded with me on his behalf to pardon him and as well called Mrs Udeorji to request for my forgiveness upon the husband which She did.
Besides, I reported this matter to Mrs. Oguno ( Headmistress) about what Chinenye's husband said . She equally pleaded on his behalf for my forgiveness and advices me to delete Chinenye's number which I did.
THE INCIDENT
Chinenye's step younger brother insulted her mother before some teachers , his classmates and I on the 6th day of July 2023 within the School premises. Having been flogged by one of the teacher, he ran home and did not return back to write his exams. Later in the day, I entered the village to collect some money given to one of the teachers for me and along the way, I entered the boys house to know his reason for not coming back to write his exams. I met the elder brother who is JSS 1 in our School. I asked him his reason for not being in the School but he ignored me. Besides, he was in the bed when I was asking him this question which he gave no response. I uncovered the net that covers his bed without touching him, immediately, he picked up a dagger knife from the head of his bed to use on me but I overpowered him and took the dagger knife from him
He raised alarm and people came. The incident was reported to the Council of Elders in the Community and they were billed some charges later on though in my absence. Chinenye called me and requested that I should help her family to beg the Council of Elders, which I did. But they refused and maintained that it is their custom that anyone who carries a knife against the other will pay fine.
Nevertheless, Chinenye requested for my help for them to pay the fine since they refused to pardon them. I told her that I do not have the money to do so. Hence She began to threatening me that if I refuse to help because I am the cause of everything , She will accuse me of raping her and the husband will put it into writing which they eventually did. I was so much annoyed when She said so and I cursed her. This is what happened. Thanks
Human Rights Groups steps in, demand Reverend father be arrested to face the last.
A right group, Advocates For Children and Vulnerable Persons Network ACVPN has condemned the police commissioner in Anambra state , the commissioner of Woman Affairs in the State and the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha for allegedly attempting to sweep the allegations under the carpet.
Ebenezer Omejailile Cordinator of ACVPN said ,,,
ACVPN stand is there shouldn't be any form of cover up by the Archdiocese because we don't know how many children, girls and women this reverend Father Mary Ikwuneme has violated and applied so much impunity that keep them silent.
ACVPN kicks against the silence by the Commissioner of women Affairs as it was alleged that because the Honorable Commissioner of women Affairs is a strong Catholic, that's why she decided to turn a blind eye on this case.
We say A capital NO because the Law and constitution is a respecter to nobody .As for the police officer by name Casmir who clearly exhibited a high sense of irresponsible behavior by demanding for 200,000 from a traumatized victim before he will effect the arrest of Reverend Ikwuneme, clearly showed this officer is one of the underemployed officer who have no business in the police force. It Amazing that this case was not minuted to the right department, it's expected the Gender UNIT should be handling this case,,
Efforts to get the reaction of the Reverend father Ikwuneme were not successful as he did not pick calls to his phone.
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