By Chris Ugwuja, Nsukka

The Nigeria Association of women Journalists (NAWOJ), South East Zone have called for very severe punishment for those who rape children.

The association’s Ag.Vice  President South East Zone, Ngozi Mbah in a statement lamented that it is alarming enough the rate at which rape has become the order of the day despite many outcries.

According the statement, NAWOJ maintained that the “rape of babies is totally horrible and inexcusable.”

Making recommendations on how to end the menace, the body then called for the literal interpretation of the biblical injunction that if your hand makes you to sin cut it off to be applied to perpetrators of such dastardly acts.

“These men should be castrated as a deterrent to others. They can not claim that these babies dressed to attract them or had played with their emotions. There is simply no excuse for their premeditated act.

“The legislators should enact a law that will deal decisively with rape offenders no matter the gender and the sooner the better because the increase in the cases of rape is astranomical even with the outrage expressed by Nigerians.

“Mother’s should be extra vigilant with their children.

“Despite the economic situation that has forced everyone to work, they should remember it is a responsibility they can not afford to neglect. It is said that when you bring up the child in the right way when it grows up it will not depart from it”, the group said.